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A ST O R I 





































































































































HUDSON EDITION y^. ^ ^ 


ASTORIA 


Anecdotes of an Knteepeise 


BEYOND THE 

ROCKY MOUNTAINS 


WASHINGTON IHV-ING 


A UTHOR’ S'RE Vt-SEB E D-JY'IOY- -A 


COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME 


NEW YORK 

0. P. PUTNAM’S SONS 
27 and 29 West 28b Stkeet 




I£ntered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1808, by 
G. P. Putnam and Son, 

in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Southern District 

of New York. 



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*. y;: : ' tr& ; : 

*•• i * 4 % • t * 
i * e r « « • #• 

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Introduction. 


N the course of occasional visits to Canada 
many years since, I became intimately ac¬ 
quainted with some of the principal partners 
of the great Northwest Fur Company, who at that time 
lived in genial style at Montreal, and kept almost open 
house for the stranger. At their hospitable boards I 
occasionally met with partners, and clerks, and hardy 
fur traders from the interior posts; men who had 
passed years remote from civilized society, among distant 
and savage tribes, and who had wonders to recount of 
their wide and wild peregrinations, their hunting ex¬ 
ploits, and their perilous adventures and hair-breadth 
, escapes among the Indians. I was at an age when imag¬ 
ination lends its coloring to everything, and the stories of 
these Sinbads of the wilderness made the life of a trapper 
and fur trader perfect romance to me. I even meditated 
at one time a visit to the remote posts of the company in 
the boats which annually ascended the lakes and rivers, 
being thereto invited by one of the partners ; and I have 

7 





8 


INTRODUCTION\ 


ever since regretted that I was prevented by circum¬ 
stances from carrying my intention into effect. From 
those early impressions, the grand enterprise of the great 
fur companies, and the hazardous errantry of their asso¬ 
ciates in the wild parts of our vast continent, have always 
been themes of charmed interest to me ; and I have felt 
anxious to get at the details of their adventurous expedi¬ 
tions among the savage tribes that peopled the depths of 
the wilderness. 

About two years ago, not long after my return from a 
tour upon the prairies of the far West, I had a conver¬ 
sation with my friend, Mr. John Jacob Astor, relative to 
that portion of our country, and to the adventurous 
traders to Santa Fe and the Columbia. This led him to 
advert to a great enterprise set on foot and conducted by 
him, between twenty and thirty years since, having for 
its object to carry the fur trade across the Bocky Moun¬ 
tains, and to sweep the shores of the Pacific. 

Finding that I took an interest in the subject, he ex¬ 
pressed a regret that the true nature and extent of his 
enterprise and its national character and importance had 
never been understood, and a wish that I would under¬ 
take to give an account of it. The suggestion struck 
upon the chord of early associations already vibrating in 
my mind. It occurred to me that a work of this kind 
might comprise a variety of those curious details, so 
interesting to me, illustrative of the fur trade ; of its 
remote and adventurous enterprises, and of the various 


INTRODUCTION. 


9 


people, and tribes, and castes, and characters, civilized 
and savage, affected by its operations. The journals, and 
letters, also, of the adventurers by sea and land employed 
by Mr. Astor in his comprehensive project, might throw 
light upon portions of our country quite out of the track 
of ordinary travel, and as yet but little known. I there¬ 
fore felt disposed to undertake the task, provided docu¬ 
ments of sufficient extent and minuteness could be fur¬ 
nished to me. All the papers relative to the enterprise 
were accordingly submitted to my inspection. Among 
them were journals and letters narrating expeditions by 
sea, and journeys to and fro across the Rocky Mountains 
by routes before untravelled, together with documents 
illustrative of savage and colonial life on the borders of 
the Pacific. With such material in hand, I undertook 
the work. The trouble of rummaging among business 
papers, and of collecting and collating facts from amidst 
tedious and commonplace details, was spared me by my 
nephew, Pierre M. Irving, who acted as my pioneer, and 
to whom I am greatly indebted for smoothing my path 
and lightening my labors. 

As the journals, on which I chiefly depended, had been 
kept by men of business, intent upon the main object of 
the enterprise, and but little versed in science, or curious 
about matters not immediately bearing upon their inter¬ 
est, and as they were written often in moments of fatigue 
or hurry, amid the inconveniences of wild encampments, 
they were often meagre in their details, furnishing hints 


10 


INTRODUCTION. 


to provoke rather than narratives to satisfy inquiry. X 
have, therefore, availed myself occasionally of collateral 
lights supplied by the published journals of other trav¬ 
ellers who have visited the scenes described : such as 
Messrs. Lewis and Clarke, Bradbury, Breckenridge, 
Long, Franchere, and Ross Cox, and make a general 
acknowledgment of aid received from these quarters. 

The work I here present to the public, is necessarily 
of a rambling and somewhat disjointed nature, compris¬ 
ing various expeditions and adventures by land and sea. 
The facts, however, will prove to be linked and banded 
together by one grand scheme, devised and conducted by 
a master spirit; one set of characters, also, continues 
throughout, appearing occasionally, though sometimes at 
long intervals, and the whole enterprise winds up by 
a regular catastrophe ; so that the work, without any 
labored attempt at artificial construction, actually pos¬ 
sesses much of that unity so much sought after in works 
of fiction, and considered so important to the interests of 
every history. 


Contents, 


CHAPTER L 

i 

Objects of American Enterprise.—Gold Hunting and Fur Trading.— 
Their Effect on Colonization.—Early French Canadian Settlers. 
—Ottawa and Huron Hunters.—An Indian Trading Camp.— 
Coureurs des Bois or Rangers of the Woods.—Their Roaming 
Life.—Their Revels and Excesses.—Licensed Traders.—Missiona¬ 
ries.—Trading Posts.—Primitive French Canadian Merchant.— 
His Establishment and Dependants.—British Canadian Fur 
Merchant.—Origin of the Northwest Company.—Its Constitu¬ 
tion.—Its Internal Trade.—A Candidate for the Company.— 
Privations in the Wilderness.—Northwest Clerks.—Northwest 
Partners.—A Northwest Nabob.—Feudal Notions in the Forests. 
—The Lords of the Lakes.—Fort William.—Its Parliamentary 
Hall and Banqueting Room.—Wassailing in the Wilderness_ 


CHAPTER II. 

Rise of the Mackinaw Company.—Attempt of the American Govern¬ 
ment to Counteract Foreign Influence over the Indian Tribes.— 

11 



12 


CONTENTS . 


PAG* 

John Jacob Astor.—His Birthplace.—His Arrival in the United 
States.—What first Turned his Attention to the Fur Trade.— 

His Character, Enterprises, and Success.—His Communications 
with the American Government.—Origin of the American Fur 
Company.... 49 


CHAPTER IIL 

Fur Trade in the Pacific.—American Coasting Voyages.—Russian 
Enterprises.—Discovery of the Columbia River.—Carver’s Project 
to found a Settlement there.—Mackenzie’s Expedition.—Lewis 
and Clarke’s Journey across the Rocky Mountains.—Mr. Astor’s 
Grand Commercial Scheme.—His Correspondence on the Subject 
with Mr. Jefferson.—His Negotiations with the Northwest Com¬ 
pany.—His Steps to carry his Scheme into Effect. 56 


CHAPTER IV. 

Two Expeditions set on Foot.—The Tonquin and her Crew.—Cap¬ 
tain Thom, his Character.—The Partners and Clerks.—Cana¬ 
dian Voyageurs, their Habits, Employments, Dress, Character, 
Songs.—Expedition of a Canadian Boat and its Crew by Land 
and Water.—Arrival at New York.—Preparations for a Sea 
Voyage.—Northwest Braggarts.—Underhand Precautions.—Let¬ 
ter of Instructions.. 7J 


CHAPTER V. 

Sailing of the Tonquin.—A Rigid Commander and Reckless Crew.— 
Landsmen on Shipboard.—Fresh-water Sailors at Sea.—Lubber 
Nests.—Ship Fare.—A Labrador Veteran.—Literary Clerks.— 






CONTENTS. 


13 


PAG* 

Curious Travellers.—Robinson Crusoe’s Island.—Quarter-deck 
Quarrels.—Falkland Islands.—A Wild-goose Chase.—Port Eg- 
mont.—Epitaph Hunting.—Old Mortality.—Penguin Shooting. 

—Sportsmen left in the Lurch.—A Hard Pull.—Further Alter¬ 
cations.—Arrival at Owyhee. 84 


CHAPTER VL 

Owyhee.—Sandwich Islanders.—Their nautical Talents.—Tamaah- 
maah.—His Navy.—His Negotiations.—Views of Mr. Astor 
with respect to the Sandwich Islands.—Karakakooa.—Royal 
Monopoly of Pork.—Description of the Islanders.—Gayeties on 
Shore.—Chronicler of the Island.—Place where Captain Cook 
was Killed.—John Young, a Nautical Governor.—His Story.— 
Waititi.—A Royal Residence.—A Royal Visit.—Grand Ceremo¬ 
nials.—Close Dealing.—A Royal Pork Merchant.—Grievances of 
a Matter-of-fact Man.,. 99 


CHAPTER VII. 

Departure from the Sandwich Islands.—Misunderstanding.—Miseries 
of a Suspicious Man.—Arrival at the Columbia.—Dangerous Ser¬ 
vice.—Gloomy Apprehensions.—Bars and Breakers.—Perils of 
the Ship.—Disasters of a Boat’s Crew.—Burial of a Sandwich 
Islander. 115 


CHAPTER VIII. 


Mouth of the Columbia.—The Native Tribes.—Their Fishing.— 
Their Canoes.—Bold Navigators.—Equestrian Indians and 





14 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


Piscatory Indians, Difference in their Physical Organization.— 
Search for a Trading Site.—Expedition of M’Dougal and Da¬ 
vid Stuart.—Comcomly, the One-eyed Chieftain.—Influence of 
Wealth in Savage Life.—Slavery among the Natives.—An Aris¬ 
tocracy of Flatheads.—Hospitality among the Chinooks.—Com* 
comly’s Daughter.—Her Conquest. 12? 


CHAPTER IX. 

Point George.—Founding of Astoria.—Indian Visitors.—Their Re¬ 
ception.—The Captain Taboos the Ship.—Departure of the 
Tonquin.—Comments on the Conduct of Captain Thorn. 135 


CHAPTER X. 

Disquieting Rumors from the Interior.—Reconnoitring Party.— 
Preparations for a Trading Post.—An Unexpected Arrival.— 

A Spy in the Camp.—Expedition into the Interior.—Shores of 
the Columbia.—Mount Coffin.—Indian Sepulchre.—The Land of 
Spirits.—Columbian Valley.—Vancouver’s Point.—Falls and 
Rapids.—A Great Fishing Mart.—The Village of Wish-ram.— 
Difference between Fishing Indians and Hunting Indians.— 
Effects of Habits of Trade on the Indian Character.—Post estab¬ 
lished at the Oakinagan..... 147 


CHAPTER XL 


Alarm at Astoria.—Rumor of Indian Hostilities.—Preparations for 
Defense.—Tragical Fate of the Tonquin. 156 






CONTENTS. 


15 


CHAPTER XII. 

mi 

Gloom at Astoria.—An Ingenious Stratagem.—The Small-pox Chief. 

—Launching of the Dolly.—An Arrival.—A Canadian Trapper. 

—A Freeman of the Forest.—An Iroquois Hunter.—Winter on 
the Columbia.—Festivities of New Year. 176 


CHAPTER XIIL 

Expedition by Land.—Wilson P. Hunt.—His Character.—Donald 
M’Kenzie.—Recruiting Service among the Yoyageurs.—A Bark 
Canoe.—Chapel of St. Anne.—Votive Offerings.—Pious Carous¬ 
als.—A Ragged Regiment.—Mackinaw.—Picture of a Trading 
Post.—Frolicking Yoyageurs.—Swells and Swaggerers.—Indian 
Coxcombs.—A Man of the North.—Jockeyship of Voyageurs.— 
Inefficacy of Gold.—Weight of a Feather .—Mr. Ramsay Crooks. 

—His Character.—His Risks among the Indians.—His Warning 
concerning Sioux and Blackfeet.—Embarkation of Recruits.— 
Parting Scenes between Brothers, Cousins, Wives, Sweethearts, 
and Pot Companions. ITt 


CHAPTER XIV. 

6t. Louis. — Its Situation. — Motley Population.—French Creole 
Traders and their Dependants.—Missouri Fur Company.—Mr. 
Manuel Lisa.—Mississippi Boatmen.—Vagrant Indians.—Ken¬ 
tucky Hunters.—Old French Mansion.—Fiddling.—Billiards.— 
Mr. Joseph Miller.—His Character.'-Recruits.—Voyage up the 




16 


CONTENTS. 


PAM 

Missouri.—Difficulties of the River.—Merits of Canadian Voya- 
geurs.—Arrival at the Nodowa.—Mr. Robert M’Lellan joins the 
Party.—John Day, a Virginia Hunter.—Description of him.— 

Mr. Hunt returns to St. Louis. 191 


CHAPTER XV. 

Opposition of the Missouri Fur Company.—Blackfeet Indians.— 
Pierre Dorion, a Half-breed Interpreter.—Old Dorion and his 
Hybrid Progeny.—Family Quarrels.—Cross Purposes between 
Dorion and Lisa.—Renegadoes from Nodowa.—Perplexities of a 
Commander.—Messrs. Bradbury and Nuttall join the Expedi¬ 
tion.—Legal embarrassments of Pierre Dorion.—Departure from 
St. Louis.—Conjugal discipline of a Half-breed.—Annual swell¬ 
ing of the Rivers.—Daniel Boone, the Patriarch of Kentucky.— 
John Colter.—His Adventures among the Indians.—Rumors of 
Danger Ahead.—Fort Osage.—An Indian War-feast.—Troubles 
in the Dorion Family.—Buffaloes and Turkey-buzzards..900 


CHAPTER XVL 

Return of Spring.—Appearance of Snakes.—Great Flights of Wild 
Pigeons.—Renewal of the Voyage.—Night Encampments.— 
Platte River.—Ceremonials on passing it.—Signs of Indian War 
Parties.—Magnificent Prospect at Papillion Creek.—Desertion of 
Two Hunters.—An Irruption into the Camp of Indian Despera¬ 
does.—Village of the Omahas.—Anecdotes of the Tribe.—Feu¬ 
dal Wars of the Indians.—Story of Blackbird, the famous Omaha 
Chief... ... ..319 





CONTENTS. 


17 


CHAPTER XVIL 

PAOB 

Rumors of Danger from the Sioux Tetons.—Ruthless Character of 
those Savages.—Pirates of the Missouri. — Their Affair with 
Crooks and M’Lellan.—A Trading Expedition broken up.— 
M’Lellan’s Vow of Vengeance.—Uneasiness in the Camp.—Deser¬ 
tions.—Departure from the Omaha Village.—Meeting with Jones 
and Carson, two Adventurous Trappers.—Scientific Pursuits of 
Messrs. Bradbury and Nuttall.—Zeal of a Botanist.—Adventure 
of Mr. Bradbury with a Ponca Indian.—Expedient of the Pocket 
Compass and Microscope.—A Messenger from Lisa.—Motives for 
pressing forward. 23(1 


CHAPTER XVIIL 

Camp Gossip.—Deserters.—Recruits.—Kentucky Hunters.—A Vet¬ 
eran Woodman.—Tidings of Mr. Henry.— Danger from the 
Blackfeet.—Alteration of Plans.—Scenery of the River.—Buffalo 
Roads.—Iron Ore.—Country of the Sioux.—A Land of Danger. 

—Apprehensions of the Voyageurs.—Indian Scouts.—Threat¬ 
ened Hostilities.—A Council of War.—An Array of Battle.—A 
Parley.—The Pipe of Peace.—Speech-making. 240 


CHAPTER XIX. 

The Great Bend of the Missouri.—Crooks and M’Lellan meet with 
two of their Indian Opponents.—Wanton Outrage of a White 
Man the Cause of Indian Hostility.—Dangers and Precautions.— 
An Indian War Party. — Dangerous Situation of Mr. Hunt.—A 
Friendly Encampment.—Feasting and Dancing.—Approach of 




18 


CONTENTS. 


PASS 

Manuel Lisa and his Party.—A Grim Meeting between Old Ri¬ 
vals.—Pierre Dorion in a Fury.—A Burst of Chivalry. 263 


CHAPTER XX. 

Features of the Wilderness.—Herds of Buffalo.—Antelopes ; their 
Varieties and Habits.—John Day.—His Hunting Stratagem.— 
Interview with Three Arickaras.—Negotiations between the Rival 
Parties.—The Left-handed and the Big Man, two Arickara 
Chiefs.—Arickara Village.—Its Inhabitants.—Ceremonials on 
Landing.—A Council Lodge. — Grand Conference.—Speech of 
Lisa.—Negotiation for Horses.—Shrewd suggestion of Gray Eyes, 
an Arickara Chief.—Encampment of the Trading Parties.274 


CHAPTER XXL 

An Indian Horse Fair.—Love of the Indians for Horses.—Scenes in 
the Arickara Village.—Indian Hospitality.—Duties of Indian 
Women.—Game Habits of the Men.—Their Indolence.—Love of 
Gossiping.—Rumors of Lurking Enemies.—Scouts.—An Alarm. 

—A Sallying Forth.—Indian Dogs.—Return of a Horse-stealing 
Party.—An Indian Deputation.—Fresh Alarms.—Return of a 
Successful War Party.—Dress of the Arickaras.—Indian Toilet. 

—Triumphal Entry of the War Party.—Meetings of Relations 
and Friends.—Indian Sensibility.—Meeting of a Wounded War¬ 
rior and his Mother.—Festivities and Lamentations. 281 


CHAPTER XXII. 

Wilderness of the Far West.—Great American Desert.—Parched Sea¬ 
sons.—Black Hills.—Rocky Mountains.—Wandering and Preda- 





CONTENTS. 


19 


PA6B 

tory Hordes.—Speculations on what may be the Future Popula¬ 
tion.—Apprehended Hangers.—A Plot to Desert.—Rose the 
Interpreter.—His sinister Character.—Departure from the Aric- 
kara Village.301 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

Summer Weather of the Prairies.—Purity of the Atmosphere.—Cana¬ 
dians on the March.—Sickness in the Camp.—Big River.—Vul¬ 
gar Nomenclature.— Suggestions about the Original Indian 
Names.—Camp of Cheyennes.—Trade for Horses.—Character of 
the Cheyennes.—Their Horsemanship.—Historical Anecdotes of 
the Tribe.... 803 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

New Distribution of Horses.—Secret Information of Treason in the 
Camp.—Rose the Interpreter.—His Perfidious Character.—His 
Plots.—Anecdotes of the Crow Indians.—Notorious Horse Steal¬ 
ers.—Some Account of Rose.—A Desperado of the Frontier. 316 


CHAPTER XXV. 

Substitute for Fuel on the Prairies.—Fossil Trees.—Fierceness of the 
Buffaloes when in Heat.—Three Hunters Missing.—Signal Fires 
and Smokes.—Uneasiness concerning the Lost Men.—A Plan to 
forestall a Rogue.—New Arrangement with Rose.—Return of 
the Wanderers. 321 






20 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER XXYL 

TXtfb, 

The Black Mountains.—Haunts of Predatory Indians*—Their wild 
and broken Appearance. — Superstitions concerning Thera. 

—Thunder Spirits.—Singular Noises in the Mountains.—Secret 
Mines.—Hidden Treasures.—Mountains in Labor.—Scientific Ex¬ 
planation.—Impassable Defiles. — Black-tailed Deer.—The Big¬ 
horn or Ahsahta.—Prospect from a Lofty Height.—Plain with 
Herds of Buffalo.—Distant Peaks of the Rocky Mountains. 

—Alarms in the Camp.—Tracks of Grizzly Bears.—Dangerous 
Nature of this Animal.—Adventures of William Cannon and 
John Day with Grizzly Bears. 328 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Indian Trial.—Rough Mountain Travelling.—Sufferings from Hun¬ 
ger and Thirst.—Powder River.—Game in Abundance.—A 
Hunter’s Paradise.—Mountain Peak seen at a Great Distance. 

—One of the Bighorn Chain.—Rocky Mountains.—Extent.—Ap¬ 
pearance. — Height. — The Great American Desert. — Various 
Characteristics of the Mountains.—Indian Superstitions concern¬ 
ing Them.—Land of Souls.—Towns of the Free and Generous 
Spirits.—Happy Hunting Grounds.*.339 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Region of the Crow Indians.—Scouts on the Lookout.—Visit from a 
Crew of Hard Riders.—A Crow Camp.—Presents to the Crow 
Chief.—Bargaining.—Crow Bullies. — Rose among his Indian 
Friends.—Parting with the Crows.—Perplexities among the 
Mountains.—More of the Crows.—Equestrian Children.—Search 
after Stragglers. 346 





CONTENTS. 


21 


CHAPTER XXIX. 

PAOB 

Mountain Glens.—Wandering Band of Savages.—Anecdotes of Sho- 
shonies and Flatheads.—Root Diggers.—Their solitary lurking 
Habits.—Gnomes of the Mountains.—Wind River.—Scarcity of 
Food.—Alteration of Route.—The Pilot Knobs or Tetons. 

—Branch of the Colorado.—Hunting Camp. 854 


CHAPTER XXX. 

A Plentiful Hunting Camp.—Shoshonie Hunters.—Hoback’s River. 

—Mad River,—Encampment near the Pilot Knobs.—A Consulta¬ 
tion.—Preparations for a Perilous Voyage. 864 


CHAPTER XXXI. 

A Consultation whether to Proceed by Land or Water.—Preparations 
for Boat Building.—An Exploring Party.—A Party of Trappers 
Detached.—Two Snake Visitors.—Their Report concerning the 
River.—Confirmed by the Exploring Party.—Mad River aban¬ 
doned.—Arrival at Henry’s Fort.—Detachment of Robinson, Ho- 
back, and Rezner to Trap.—Mr. Miller resolves to accompany 
them.—Their Departure.. 369 


CHAPTER XXXIL 

Scanty Fare.—A Mendicant Snake.—Embarkation on Henry River. 
—Joy of the Voyageurs.—Arrival at Snake River.—Rapids and 
Breakers.—Beginning of Misfortunes.—Snake Encampments. 





22 


CONTENTS. 


PASS 


—Parley with a Savage.—A Second Disaster.—Loss of a Boat¬ 
man.—The Caldron Linn.379 


CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Gloomy Council.—Exploring Parties.—Discouraging Reports.—Dis¬ 
astrous Experiment.—Detachments in Quest of Succor.—Caches, 
how made.—Return of One of the Detachments.—Unsuccessful. 

—Further Disappointments.—The Devil’s Scuttle Hole.388 


CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Determination of the Party to proceed on Foot.—Dreary Deserts be¬ 
tween Snake River and the Columbia.—Distribution of Effects 
Preparatory to a March.—Division of the Party.—Rugged March 
along the River.—Wild and Broken Scenery.— Shoshonies. 

—Alarm of a Snake Encampment.—Intercourse with the Snakes. 

—Horse Dealing.—Value of a Tin Kettle.—Sufferings from 
Thirst.—A Horse Reclaimed.—Fortitude of an Indian Woman. 

—Scarcity of Food.—Dog’s Flesh a Dainty.—News of Mr. Crooks 
and his Party.—Painful Travelling among the Mountains.—Snow 
Storms.—A Dreary Mountain Prospect.—A Bivouac during a 
Wintry Night.—Return to the River Bank.396 


CHAPTER XXXV. 

An Unexpected Meeting.—Navigation in a Skin Canoe.—Strang© 
Fears of Suffering Men.—Hardships of Mr. Crooks and his Com¬ 
rades.—Tidings of M’Lellan.—A Retrograde March.—A Willow 
Raft.—Extreme Suffering of some of the Party.—Illness of Mr. 





CONTENTS. 


23 


PAGE 

Crooks.—Impatience of some of the Men.—Necessity of leaving 
the Laggards Behind.411 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Mr. Hunt Overtakes the Advanced Party.—Pierre Dorion, and his 
Skeleton Horse. — A Shoshonie Camp.—A Justifiable Outrage.— 
Feasting on Horse Flesh.—Mr. Crooks brought to the Camp.— 
Undertakes to relieve his Men.—The Skin Ferry-boat.—Frenzy 
of Prevost.—His Melancholy Fate.—Enfeebled State of John 
Day.—Mr. Crooks again left Behind.—The Party emerge from 
among the Mountains.—Interview with Shoshonies.—A Guide 
procured to conduct the Party across a Mountain. — Ferriage 
across Snake River.—Reunion with Mr. Crooks’s Men.—Final 
Departure from the River. 418 


CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Departure from Snake River.—Mountains to the North.—Wayworn 
Travellers.—An Increase of the Dorion Family.—A Camp of 
Shoshonies.—A New-year Festival among the Snakes.—A Wintry 
March through the Mountains.—A Sunny Prospect, and Milder 
Climate.—Indian Horse-tracks.—Grassy Valleys.—A Camp of 
Sciatogas.—Joy of the Travellers.—Dangers of Abundance.— 
Habits of the Sciatogas.—Fate of Carriere.—The Umatalla.—Ar¬ 
rival at the Banks of the Columbia.—Tidings of the scattered 
Members of the Expedition.—Scenery on the Columbia.—Tidings 
of Astoria.—Arrival at the Falls. 427 


CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

The Village of Wish-ram.—Roguery of the Inhabitants.—Their Hab¬ 
itations. — Tidings of Astoria.—Of the Tonquin Massacre.— 





24 


CONTENTS. 


PAS* 

Thieves about the Camp.—A Band of Braggarts.— Embarkation. 

—Arrival at Astoria.—A Joyful Reception.—Old Comrades.— 
Adventures of Reed, M’Leilan, and M’Kenzie among the Snake 
River Mountains.—Rejoicing at Astoria. 442 


CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Scanty Fare during the Winter.—A Poor Hunting Ground.—The Re¬ 
turn of the Fishing Season.—The Uthleean or Smelt.—Its Qual¬ 
ities.—Vast Shoals of it.—Sturgeon.—Indian Modes of taking it. 
—The Salmon.—Different Species.—Nature of the Country about 
the Coast.—Forests and Forest Trees.—A Remarkable flowering 
Vine.—Animals.—Birds.—Reptiles.—Climate west of the Moun¬ 
tains.—Mildness of the Temperature.—Soil of the Coast and the 
Interior...452 


CHAPTER XL. 

Natives in the Neighborhood of Astoria.—Their Persons and Charac¬ 
teristics.—Causes of Deformity.—Their Dress.—Their Contempt 
of Beards.—Ornaments.—Armor and Weapons.—Mode of flat¬ 
tening the Head.—Extent of the Custom.—Religious Belief.— 

The Two Great Spirits of the Air and of the Fire.—Priests or 
Medicine Men.—The Rival Idols.—Polygamy a Cause of Great¬ 
ness.—Petty Warfare.—Music, Dancing, Gambling.—Thieving 
a Virtue.—Keen Traders.—Intrusive Habits.—Abhorrence of 
Drunkenness.—Anecdote of Comcomiy.459 


CHAPTER XLI. 

Spring Arrangements at Astoria.—Various Expeditions set out.— 
The Long Narrows. — Pilfering Indians. — Thievish Tribe at 





CONTENTS. 25 

PAGB 

Wish-ram.—Portage at the Fails.—Portage by Moonlight.—An 
Attack, a Rout, and a Robbery.—Indian Cure for Cowardice.— 

A Parley and Compromise.—The Despatch Party turn back.— 
Meet Crooks and John Day.—Their Sufferings.—Indian Perfidy. 

—Arrival at Astoria.. 470 


CHAPTER XLII. 

Comprehensive Views.—To Supply the Russian Fur Establishment.-^ 

An Agent sent to Russia.—Project of an Annual Ship.—The 
Beaver fitted out.—Her Equipment and Crew.—Instructions to 
the Captain.—The Sandwich Islands—Rumors of the Fate of the 
Tonquin.—Precautions on reaching the Mouth of the Columbia 484 


CHAPTER XLIII. 

Active Operations at Astoria.—Various Expeditions fitted out.—Rob¬ 
ert Stuart and a Party destined for New York.—Singular Con¬ 
duct of John Day.—His Fate.—Piratical Pass and Hazardous 
Portage.—Rattlesnakes.—Their Abhorrence of Tobacco.—Arrival 
among the Wallah-Wallahs.—Purchase of Horses.—Departure 
of Stuart and his Band for the Mountains.490 


CHAPTER XLIV. 

Route of Mr. Stuart.—Dreary Wilds.—Thirsty Travelling.—A Grove 
and Streamlet.—The Blue Mountains.—A Fertile Plain with Riv¬ 
ulets.—Sulphur Spring.—Route along Snake River.—Rumors of 
White Men.—The Snake and his Horse.—A Snake Guide.—A 
Midnight Decampment.—Unexpected Meeting with Old Com- 


i 




26 


CONTENTS . 


FAas 


rades.—Story of Trappers’ Hardships.—Salmon Falls.—A Great 
Fishery.—Mode of spearing Salmon.—Arrival at the Caldron 
Linn.—State of the Caches.—New Resolution of the three Ken¬ 
tucky Trappers.601 


CHAPTER XLV. 

The Snake River Deserts.—Scanty Fare.—Bewildered Travellers.— 
Prowling Indians.—A Giant Crow Chief.—A Bully rebuked.— 
Indian Signals.—Smoke on the Mountains.—Mad River.—An 
Alarm.—An Indian Foray.—A Scamper.—A rude Indian Joke. 

—A Sharp-shooter balked of his Shot...518 


CHAPTER XLYI. 

Travellers Unhorsed.—Pedestrian Preparations.— Prying Spies.— 
Bonfires of Baggage.—A March on Foot.—Rafting a River.— 

The Wounded Elk.—Indian Trails.—Willful Conduct of Mr. 
M’Lellan.—Grand Prospect from a Mountain.—Distant Craters 
of Volcanoes.—Illness of Mr. Crooks. 528 


CHAPTER XLVII. 

Ben Jones and a Grizzly Bear.—Rocky Heights.—Mountain Torrents. 

—Traces of M’Lellan.—Volcanic Remains.—Mineral Earths.— 
Peculiar Clay for Pottery.—Dismal Plight of M’Lellan.—Starva¬ 
tion.—Shocking Proposition of a Desperate Man.—A Broken- 
down Bull.—A Ravenous Meal.—Indian Graves.—Hospitable 
Snakes.—A Forlorn Alliance. 540 






CONTENTS. 


27 


CHAPTER XLVIIL 

PAG* 

Spanish River Scenery.—Trail of Crow Indians.—A Snow-storm.— 

A Rousing Fire and a Buffalo Feast.—A Plain of Salt.—Climb¬ 
ing a Mountain.—Volcanic Summit.—Extinguished Crater.— 
Marine Shells.—Encampment on a Prairie.—Successful Hunting. 

—Good Cheer.—Romantic Scenery.—Rocky Defile.—Foaming 
Rapids.—The Fiery Narrows. 553 


CHAPTER XLIX. 

Wintry Storms.—A Halt and Council.—Cantonment for the Winter. 

—Fine Hunting Country.—Game of the Mountains and Plain*. 

—Successful Hunting.—Mr. Crooks and a Grizzly Bear.—The 
Wigwam.—Bighorn and Blacktails.—Beef and Venison.—Good 
Quarters and Good Cheer.—An Alarm.—An Intrusion.—Unwel¬ 
come Guests.—Desolation of the Larder.—Gormandizing Ex¬ 
ploits of Hungry Savages.—Good Quarters abandoned.561 


CHAPTER L. 

Rough Wintry Travelling.—Hills and Plains.—Snow and Ice.—Dis¬ 
appearance of Game.—A Vast Dreary Plain.—A Second Halt 
for the Winter.—Another Wigwam.—New-year’s Feast.—Buf¬ 
falo Humps, Tongues, and Marrow-bones.—Return of Spring.— 
Launch of Canoes.—Bad Navigation.—Pedestrian March.—Vast 
Prairies.—Deserted Camps.—Pawnee Squaws.—An Otto Indian. 

—News of War.—Voyage down the Platte and the Missouri.— 
Reception at Fort Osago.—Arrival at St. Louis. 578 





28 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER LI. 

FAGK 

Agreement between Mr. Astor and the Russian Fur Company.—War 
between the United States and Great Britain.—Instructions to 
Captain Sowle of the Beaver.—Fitting out of the Lark.—News 
of the Arrival of Mr. Stuart. 582 


CHAPTER LIT. 

Banks of the Wallah-Wallah.—Departure of David Stuart for the 
Oakinagan.—Mr. Clarke’s Route up Lewis River.—Chipunnish, 
or Pierced-nose Indians. — Their Character, Appearance, and 
Habits.—Thievish Habits.—Laying up of the Boats.—Post at 
Pointed Heart and Spokan Rivers.—M’Kenzie, his Route up the 
Camoenum.—Bands of Travelling Indians.—Expedition of Reed 
to the Caches.—Adventures of Wandering Yoyageurs and Trap¬ 
pers.588 


CHAPTER LIIL 

Departure of Mr. Hunt in the Beaver.—Precautions at the Factory. 

—Detachment to the Wollamut.—Gloomy Apprehensions.—Ar¬ 
rival of M’Kenzie.—Affairs at the Shahaptan.—News of War.— 
Dismay of M’Dougal.—Determination to abandon Astoria.—De¬ 
parture of M’Kenzie for the Interior.—Adventure at the Rapids. 

—Visit to the Ruffians of Wish-ram.—A Perilous Situation.— 

—Meeting with M’Tavish and his Party.—Arrival at the Shahap¬ 
tan.—Plundered Caches.—Determination of the wintering Part¬ 
ners not to Leave the Country.—Arrival of Clarke among the 
Nez Perces.—The Affair of the Silver Goblet.—Hanging of an 
Indian.—Arrival of the wintering Partners at Astoria. 598 





CONTENTS. 


29 


CHAPTER UV. 

PASS 

The Partners displeased with M’Dougal.—Equivocal Conduct of that 
Gentleman.—Partners agree to Abandon Astoria.—Sale of Goods 
to M’Tavish.—Arrangements for the Year.—Manifesto signed 
by the Partners.—Departure of M’Tavish for the Interior..613 


CHAPTER LV. 

Anxieties of Mr. Astor.—Memorial of the Northwest Company.— 
Tidings of a British Naval Expedition against Astoria.—Mr. 
Astor applies to Government for Protection.—The Frigate Adams 
ordered to be fitted out.—Bright News from Astoria.—Sunshine 
suddenly overclouded. 319 


CHAPTER LVL 

Affairs of State at Astoria.—M’Dougai proposes for the Hand of an 
Indian Princess.—Matrimonial Embassy to Comcomly.—Matri¬ 
monial Notions among the Chinooks.—Settlements and Pin- 
money.—The Bringing Home of the Bride.—A Managing Father- 
in-law.—Arrival of Mr. Hunt at Astoria.633 


CHAPTER EVIL 

Voyage of the Beaver to New Archangel.—A Russian Governor.— 
Roystering Rule.—The Tyranny of the Table.—Hard Drinking 
Bargains.—Voyage to Kamtschatka.—Seal catching Establish¬ 
ment at St. Paul’s.—Storms at Sea.—Mr. Hunt left at the Sand¬ 
wich Islands.—Transactions of the Beaver at Canton.—Return 
of Mr. Hunt to Astoria. 638 






30 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER LVIIL 

Arrangements among the Partners.—Mr. Hunt sails in the Alba¬ 
tross.—Arrives at the Marquesas.—News of the Frigate Phoebe. 

—Mr. Hunt proceeds to the Sandwich Islands.—Voyage of the 
Lark.—Her Shipwreck.—Transactions with the Natives of the 
Sandwich Islands.—Conduct of Tamaahmaah..639 


CHAPTER LIX. 

Arrival of M’Tavish at Astoria.—Conduct of his Followers.—Nego¬ 
tiations of M’Dougal and M’Tavish.—Bargain for the Transfer 
of Astoria.—Doubts entertained of the Loyalty of M’Dougal_649 


CHAPTER LX. 

Arrival of a Strange Sail.—Agitation at Astoria.—Warlike Offer of 
Comcomly.—Astoria taken Possession of by the British.—Indig¬ 
nation of Comcomly at the Conduct of his Son-in-law. 656 


CHAPTER LXL 

Arrival of the Brig Pedler at Astoria.—Breaking up of the Establish¬ 
ment.—Departure of Several of the Company.—Tragical Story 
told by the Squaw of Pierre Dorion.—Fate of Reed and his Com¬ 
panions.—Attempts of Mr. Astor to Renew his Enterprise.— 
Disappointment.—Concluding Observations and Reflections..... 666 




CONTENTS. 


31 


APPENDIX. 

PASS 

Draught of a Petition to Congress, sent by Mr. Astor in 1812. 679 

Letter from Mr. Gallatin to Mr. Astor... 681 

Notices of the Present State of the Fur Trade, chiefly extracted from 

an Article published in Silliman’s Journal of January, 1834. 684 

Height of the Rocky Mountains. 691 

Suggestions with respect to the Indian Tribes, and the Protection of 
our Trade.693 







Astobia. 


CHAPTER L 


OBJECTS OF AMERICAN ENTERPRISE.—GOLD HUNTING AND FUR TRADING.— 
THEIR EFFECT ON COLONIZATION.—EARLY FRENCH CANADIAN SETTLERS.—* 
OTTAWA AND HURON HUNTERS. —AN INDIAN TRADING CAMP.—COUREURS 
DES BOIS, OR RANGERS OF THE WOODS.—THEIR ROAMING LIFE.—THEIR 
REVELS AND EXCESSES.—LICENSED TRADERS.—MISSIONARIES.—TRADING 
POSTS.—PRIMITIVE FRENCH CANADIAN MERCHANT.—HIS ESTABLISHMENT 
AND DEPENDENTS.— BRITISH CANADIAN FUR MERCHANT.—ORIGIN OF THE 
NORTHWEST COMPANY.—ITS CONSTITUTION.—ITS INTERNAL TRADE.—A 
CANDIDATE FOR THE COMPANY.—PRIVATIONS IN THE WILDERNESS.— 
NORTHWEST CLERKS.—NORTHWEST PARTNERS.—A NORTHWEST NABOB.— 
FEUDAL NOTIONS IN THE FORESTS.—THE LORDS OF THE LAKES.—FORT 
WILLIAM.—ITS PARLIAMENTARY HALL AND BANQUETING ROOM.—WASSAIL¬ 
ING IN THE WILDERNESS. 

WO leading objects of commercial gain have 
given birth to wide and daring enterprise in 
the early history of the Americas ; the pre¬ 
cious metals of the South, and the rich peltries of the 
North. While the fiery and magnificent Spaniard, in¬ 
flamed with the mania for gold, has extended his discov¬ 
eries and conquests over those brilliant countries scorched 
by the ardent sun of the tropics, the adroit and buoyant 
Frenchman, and the cool and calculating Briton, have 
pursued the less splendid, but no less lucrative, traffic in 
furs amidst the hyperborean regions of the Canadas, 
until they have advanced even within the Arctic Circle. 

These two pursuits have thus in a manner been the 
3 33 








34 


ASTORIA. 


pioneers and precursors of civilization. Without pausing 
on the borders, they have penetrated at once, in defianco 
of difficulties and dangers, to the heart of savage coun¬ 
tries : laying open the hidden secrets of the wilderness; 
leading the way to remote regions of beauty and fertility 
that might have remained unexplored for ages, and beck¬ 
oning after them the slow and pausing steps of agricul¬ 
ture and civilization. 

It was the fur trade, in fact, which gave early sus¬ 
tenance and vitality to the great Canadian provinces. 
Being destitute of the precious metals, at that time the 
leading objects of American enterprise, they were long 
neglected by the parent country. The French adven¬ 
turers, however, who had settled on the banks of the St. 
Lawrence, soon found that in the rich peltries of the 
interior, they had sources of wealth that might almost 
rival the mines of Mexico and Peru. The Indians, as yet 
unacquainted with the artificial value given to some 
descriptions of furs, in civilized life, brought quantities 
of the most precious kinds and bartered them away for 
European trinkets and cheap commodities. Immense 
profits were thus made by the early traders, and the 
traffic was pursued with avidity. 

As the valuable furs soon became scarce in the neigh¬ 
borhood of the settlements, the Indians of the vicinity 
were stimulated to take a wider range in their hunting 
expeditions ; they were generally accompanied on these 
expeditions by some of the traders or their dependents, 
who shared in the toils and perils of the chase, and at 


INDIAN FAIR. 


35 


the same time made themselves acquainted with the best 
hunting and trapping grounds, and with the remote 
tribes, whom they encouraged to bring their peltries to 
the settlements. In this way the trade augmented, and 
was drawn from remote quarters to Montreal. Every 
now and then a large body of Ottawas, Hurons, and other 
tribes who hunted the countries bordering on the great 
lakes, would come down in a squadron of light canoes, 
laden with beaver skins, and other spoils of their year’s 
hunting. The canoes would be unladen, taken on shore, 
and their contents disposed in order. A camp of birch 
bark would be pitched outside of the town, and a kind of 
primitive fair opened with that grave ceremonial so dear 
to the Indians. An audience would be demanded of the 
governor-general, who would hold the conference with be¬ 
coming state, seated in an elbow-chair, with the Indians 
ranged in semicircles before him, seated on the ground, 
and silently smoking their pipes. Speeches would be 
made, presents exchanged, and the audience would break 
up in universal good humor. 

Now would ensue a brisk traffic with the merchants, and 
all Montreal would be alive with naked Indians running 
from shop to shop, bargaining for arms, kettles, knives, 
axes, blankets, bright-colored cloths, and other articles 
of use or fancy; upon all which, says an old French 
writer, the merchants were sure to clear at least two hun¬ 
dred per cent. There was no money used in this traffic, 
and, after a time, all payment in spirituous liquors was 
prohibited, in consequence of the frantic and frightful 


36 


ASTORIA. 


excesses and bloody brawls which they were apt to oc¬ 
casion. 

Their wants and caprices being supplied, they would 
take leave of the governor, strike their tents, launch their 
canoes, and ply their way up the Ottawa to the lakes. 

A new and anomalous class of men gradually grew out 
of this trade. These were called coureurs des hois , rangers 
of the woods ; originally men who had accompanied the 
Indians in their hunting expeditions, and made them¬ 
selves acquainted with remote tracts and tribes; and 
who now became, as it were, peddlers of the wilderness. 
These men would set out from Montreal with canoes well 
stocked with goods, with arms and ammunition, and 
would make their way up the mazy and wandering rivers 
that interlace the vast forests of the Canadas, coasting 
the most remote lakes, and creating new wants and habi¬ 
tudes among the natives. Sometimes they sojourned for 
months among them, assimilating to their tastes and 
habits with the happy facility of Frenchmen, adopting in 
some degree the Indian dress, and not unfrequently tak¬ 
ing to themselves Indian wives. 

Twelve, fifteen, eighteen months would often elapse 
without any tidings of them, when they would come 
sweeping their wa f down the Ottawa in full glee, their 
canoes laden down with packs of beaver skins. Now 
came their turn for revelry and extravagance. “You 
would be amazed,” says an old writer already quoted, 
“ if you saw how lewd these peddlers are when they 
return ; how they feast and game, and how prodigal they 


COUREURS DE8 B0I8. 


37 


are, not only in their clothes, but upon their sweethearts. 
Such of them as are married have the wisdom to retire 
to their own houses ; but the bachelors act just as an 
East Indiaman and pirates are wont to do ; for they lav¬ 
ish, eat, drink, and play all away as long as the goods 
hold out; and when these are gone, they even sell their 
embroidery, their lace, and their clothes. This done, 
they are forced upon a new voyage for subsistence.” * 

Many of these coureurs des bois became so accustomed 
to the Indian mode of living, and the perfect freedom of 
the wilderness, that they lost all relish for civilization, 
and identified themselves with the savages among whom 
they dwelt, or could only be distinguished from them by 
superior licentiousness. Their conduct and example 
gradually corrupted the natives, and impeded the works 
of the Catholic missionaries, who were at this time prose¬ 
cuting their pious labors in the wilds of Canada. 

To check these abuses, and to protect the fur trade 
from various irregularities practised by these loose ad¬ 
venturers, an order was issued by the French government 
prohibiting all persons, on pain of death, from trading 
into the interior of the country without a license. 

These licenses were granted in writing by the governor- 
general, and at first were given only to persons of re¬ 
spectability ; to gentlemen of broken fortunes ; to old 
officers of the army who had families to provide for ; or 
to their widows. Each license permitted the fitting out 


* La Hontan, v. i. let. 4. 


38 


ASTORIA. 


of two large canoes with merchandise for the lakes, and 
no more than twenty-five licenses were to be issued in 
one year. By degrees, however, private licenses were 
also granted, and the number rapidly increased. Those 
who did not choose to fit out the expeditions themselves, 
were permitted to sell them to the merchants ; these em¬ 
ployed the coureurs des hois, or rangers of the woods, to 
undertake the long voyages on shares, and thus the 
abuses of the old system were revived and continued.* 
The pious missionaries, employed by the Roman 
Catholic Church to convert the Indians, did everything 
in their power to counteract the profligacy caused and 
propagated by these men in the heart of the wilderness. 
The Catholic chapel might often be seen planted beside 
the trading house, and its spire surmounted by a cross, 


* The following are the terms on which these expeditions were com¬ 
monly undertaken. The merchant holding the license would fit out the 
two canoes with a thousand crowns’ worth of goods, and put them under 
the conduct of six coureurs des bois, to whom the goods were charged at 
the rate of fifteen per cent, above the ready money price in the colony. 
The coureurs des bois, in their turn, dealt so sharply with the savages, 
that they generally returned, at the end of a year or so, with four canoes 
well laden, so as to insure a clear profit of seven hundred per cent., inso¬ 
much that the thousand crowns invested, produced eight thousand. Of 
this extravagant profit the merchant had the lion’s share. In the first 
place he would set aside six hundred crowns for the cost of his license, 
then a thousand crowns for the cost of the original merchandise. This 
would leave six thousand four hundred crowns, from which he would take 
forty per cent., for bottomry, amounting to two thousand five hundred 
and sixty crowns. The residue would be equally divided among the six 
wood rangers, who would thus receive little more than six hundred crowns 
for all their toils and perils. 


LICENSED TRADERS. 


39 


towering from the midst of an Indian village, on the 
banks of a river or a lake. The missions had often a 
beneficial effect on the simple sons of the forest, but had 
little power over the renegades from civilization. 

At length it was found necessary to establish fortified 
posts at the confluence of the rivers and the lakes for the 
protection of the trade, and the restraint of these profli¬ 
gates of the wilderness. The most important of these 
was at Michilimaekinac, situated at the strait of the same 
name, which connects Lakes Huron and Michigan. It 
became the great interior mart and place of deposit, and 
some of the regular merchants who prosecuted the trade 
in person, under their licenses, formed establishments 
here. This, too, was a rendezvous for the rangers of the 
woods, as well those w ho came up w T ith goods from Mon¬ 
treal as those who returned with peltries from the in¬ 
terior. Here new expeditions were fitted out and took 
their departure for Lake Michigan and the Mississippi ; 
Lake Superior and the Northwest; and here the peltries 
brought in return were embarked for Montreal. 

The French merchant at his trading post, in these 
primitive days of Canada, was a kind of commercial 
patriarch. With the lax habits and easy familiarity of 
his race, he had a little w^orld of self-indulgence and mis¬ 
rule around him. He had his clerks, canoe men, and 
retainers of all kinds, who lived with him on terms of 
perfect sociability, always calling him by his Christian 
name; he had his harem of Indian beauties, and his 


40 


ASTORIA. 


troop of Iialf-breed children ; nor was there ever wanting 
a louting train of Indians, hanging about the establish¬ 
ment, eating and drinking at his expense in the intervals 
of their hunting expeditions. 

The Canadian traders, for a long time, had trouble¬ 
some competitors in the British merchants of New York, 
who inveigled the Indian hunters and the coureurs des 
hois to their posts, and traded with them on more favor¬ 
able terms. A still more formidable opposition was 
organized in the Hudson Bay Company, chartered by 
Charles II., in 1670, with the exclusive privilege of es¬ 
tablishing trading houses on the shores of that bay and 
its tributary rivers; a privilege which they have main¬ 
tained to the present day. Between this British com¬ 
pany and the French merchants of Canada, feuds and 
contests arose about alleged infringements of territorial 
limits, and acts of violence and bloodshed occurred be¬ 
tween their agents. 

In 1762, the French lost possession of Canada, and the 
trade fell principally into the hands of British subjects. 
For a time, however, it shrunk within narrow limits. 
The old coureurs des bois were broken up and dispersed, 
or, where they could be met with, were slow to accustom 
themselves to the habits and manners of their British 
employers. They missed the freedom, indulgence, and 
familiarity of the old French trading houses, and did 
not relish the sober exactness, reserve, and method of 
the new-comers. The British traders, too, were ignorant 


BRITISH FUR TRADERS . 


41 


of the country, and distrustful of the natives. They 
had reason to be so. The treacherous and bloody 
affairs of Detroit and Michilimackinac showed them the 
lurking hostility cherished by the savages, who had 
too long been taught by the French to regard them as 
enemies. 

It was not until the year 1766, that the trade regained 
its old channels ; but it was then pursued with much 
avidity and emulation by individual merchants, and soon 
transcended its former bounds. Expeditions were fitted 
out by various persons from Montreal and Michilimack¬ 
inac, and rivalships and jealousies of course ensued. 
The trade was injured by their artifices to outbid and 
undermine each other; the Indians were debauched by 
the sale of spirituous liquors, which had been prohibited 
under the French rule. Scenes of drunkenness, bru¬ 
tality, and brawl were the consequence, in the Indian 
villages and around the trading houses ; while bloody 
feuds took place between rival trading parties when they 
happened to encounter each other in the lawless depths 
of the wilderness. 

To put an end to these sordid and ruinous contentions, 
several of the principal merchants of Montreal entered 
into a partnership in the winter of 1783, which was aug¬ 
mented by amalgamation with a rival company in 1787. 
Thus was created the famous “Northwest Company,” 
which for a time held a lordly sway over the wintry 
lakes and boundless forests of the Canadas, almost equal 


42 


ASTORIA. 


to that of the East India Company over the voluptuous 
climes and magnificent realms of the Orient. 

The company consisted of twenty-three shareholders, 
or partners, but held in its employ about two thousand 
persons as clerks, guides, interpreters, and “ voyageurs,” 
or boatmen. These were distributed at various trading 
posts, established far and wide on the interior lakes and 
rivers, at immense distances from each other, and in the 
heart of trackless countries and savage tribes. 

Several of the partners resided in Montreal and 
Quebec, to manage the main concerns of the company. 
These were called agents, and were personages of great 
weight and importance ; the other partners took their 
stations at the interior posts, where they remained 
throughout the winter, to superintend the intercourse 
with the various tribes of Indians. They were thence 
called wintering partners. 

The goods destined for this wide and wandering traffic 
were put up at the warehouses of the company in Mon¬ 
treal, and conveyed in batteaux, or boats and canoes, up 
the river Attawa, or Ottowa, which falls into the St. 
Lawrence near Montreal, and by other rivers and port¬ 
ages, to Lake Nipising, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and 
thence, by several chains of great and small lakes, to 
Lake Winnipeg, Lake Athabasca, and the Great Slave 
Lake. This singular and beautiful system of internal 
seas, which renders an immense region of wilderness so 
accessible to the frail bark of the Indian or the trader, 


BRITISH NORTHWEST COMPANY. 


43 


*ras studded by tbe remote posts of the company, where 
they carried on their traffic with the surrounding tribes. 

The company, as we have shown, was at first a spon¬ 
taneous association of merchants ; but, after it had been 
regularly organized, admission into it became extremely 
difficult. A candidate had to enter, as it were, “ before 
the mast,” to undergo a long probation, and to rise 
slowly by his merits and services. He began, at an early 
age, as a clerk, and served an apprenticeship of seven 
years, for which he received one hundred pounds ster¬ 
ling, was maintained at the expense of the company, and 
furnished with suitable clothing and equipments. His 
probation was generally passed at the interior trading 
posts ; removed for years from civilized society, leading a 
life almost as wild and precarious as the savages around 
him ; exposed to the severities of a northern winter, 
often suffering from a scarcity of food, and sometimes 
destitute for a long time of both bread and salt. When 
his apprenticeship had expired, he received a salary ac¬ 
cording to his deserts, varying from eighty to one hun¬ 
dred and sixty pounds sterling, and was now eligible to 
the great object of his ambition, a partnership in the 
company; though years might yet elapse before he at¬ 
tained to that enviable station. 

Most of the clerks were young men of good families, 
from the Highlands of Scotland, characterized by the 
perseverance, thrift, and fidelity of their country, and fit¬ 
ted by their native hardihood to encounter the rigorous 


44 


ASTORIA . 


climate of the North, and to endure the trials and priva¬ 
tions of their lot; though it must not be concealed that 
the constitutions of many of them became impaired by 
the hardships of the wilderness, and their stomachs in¬ 
jured by occasional famishing, and especially by the 
want of bread and salt. Now and then, at an interval 
of years, they were permitted to come down on a visit 
to the establishment at Montreal, to recruit their health, 
and to have a taste of civilized life ; and these were brill¬ 
iant spots in their existence. 

As to the principal partners, or agents, who resided in 
Montreal and Quebec, they formed a kind of commercial 
aristocracy, living in lordly and hospitable style. Their 
early associations when clerks at the remote trading 
posts, and the pleasures, dangers, adventures, and mis¬ 
haps which they had shared together in their wild wood 
life, had linked them heartily to each other, so that they 
formed a convivial fraternity. Few travellers that have 
visited Canada some thirty years since, in the days of 
the M’Tavishes, the M’Gillivrays, the M’Kenzies, the Fro¬ 
bishers. and the other magnates of the Northwest, when 
; the company was in all its glory, but must remember 
the round of feasting and revelry kept up among these 
hyperborean nabobs. 

Sometimes one or two partners, recently from the in¬ 
terior posts, would make their appearance in New York, 
in the course of a tour of pleasure and curiosity. On 
these occasions there was always a degree of magnifi- 


FEUDAL STATE IN THE FOREST. 


45 


cence of the purse about them, and a peculiar propensity 
to expenditure at the goldsmith’s and jeweler’s for rings, 
chains, brooches, necklaces, jeweled watches, and other 
rich trinkets, partly for their own wear, partly for pres¬ 
ents to their female acquaintances ; a gorgeous prodi¬ 
gality, such as was often to be noticed in former times in 
Southern planters and West India creoles, when flush 
with the profits of their plantations. 

To behold the Northwest Company in all its state and 
grandeur, however, it was necessary to witness an annual 
gathering at the great interior place of conference estab¬ 
lished at Fort William, near what is called the Grand 
Portage, on Lake Superior. Here two or three of the 
leading partners from Montreal proceeded once a year to 
meet the partners from the various trading posts of the 
wilderness, to discuss the affairs of the company during 
the preceding year, and to arrange plans for the future. 

On these occasions might be seen the change since the 
unceremonious times of the old French traders ; now the 
aristocratical character of the Briton shone forth mag¬ 
nificently, or rather the feudal spirit of the Highlander. 
Every partner who had charge of an interior post, and a 
score of retainers at his command, felt like the chieftain 
of a Highland clan, and was almost as important in the 
eyes of his dependants as of himself. To him a visit to 
the grand conference at Fort William was a most impor¬ 
tant event, and he repaired there as to a meeting of par¬ 
liament. 


46 


ASTORIA. 


The partners from Montreal, however, were the lords 
of the ascendant; coming from the midst of luxurious 
and ostentatious life, they quite eclipsed their compeers 
from the woods, whose forms and faces had been battered 
and hardened by hard living and hard service, and whose 
garments and equipments were all the worse for wear. 
Indeed, the partners from below considered the whole 
dignity of the company as represented in their persons, 
and conducted themselves in suitable style. They 
ascended the rivers in great state, like sovereigns mak¬ 
ing a progress : or rather like Highland chieftains navi¬ 
gating their subject lakes. They were wrapped in rich 
furs, their huge canoes freighted with every convenience 
and luxury, and manned by Canadian voyageurs, as 
obedient as Highland clansmen. They carried up with 
them cooks and bakers, together with delicacies of every 
kind, and abundance of choice wines for the banquets 
which attended this great convocation. Happy were 
they, too, if they could meet with some distinguished 
stranger; above all, some titled member of the British 
nobility, to accompany them on this stately occasion, and 
grace their high solemnities. 

Fort William, the scene of this important annual 
meeting, was a considerable village on the banks of Lake 
Superior. Here, in an immense wooden building, was 
the great council hall, as also the banqueting chamber, 
decorated with Indian arms and accoutrements, and the 
trophies of the fur trade. The house swarmed at this 


THE GLORIES OF FORT WILLIAM. 


47 


time with traders and voyageurs, some from Montreal, 
bound to the interior posts; some from the interior 
posts, bound to Montreal. The councils were held in 
great state, for every member felt as if sitting in parlia¬ 
ment, and every retainer and dependant looked up to the 
assemblage with awe, as to the House of Lords. There 
was a vast deal of solemn deliberation, and hard Scot¬ 
tish reasoning, with an occasional swell of pompous de¬ 
clamation. 

These grave and weighty councils were alternated by 
huge feasts and revels, like some of the old feasts de¬ 
scribed in Highland castles. The tables in the great 
banqueting room groaned under the weight of game 
of all kinds ; of venison from the woods, and fish from 
the lakes, with hunters’ delicacies, such as buffaloes’ 
tongues, and beavers’ tails, and various luxuries from 
Montreal, all served up by experienced cooks brought 
for the purpose. There was no stint of generous wine, 
for it was a hard-drinking period, a time of loyal toasts, 
and bacchanalian songs, and brimming bumpers. 

While the chiefs thus revelled in hall, and made the 
rafters resound with bursts of loyalty and old Scottish 
songs, chanted in voices cracked and sharpened by the 
northern blast, their merriment was echoed and pro¬ 
longed by a mongrel legion of retainers, Canadian voy¬ 
ageurs, half-breeds, Indian hunters, and vagabond hang¬ 
ers-on who feasted sumptuously without on the crumbs 
that fell from their table, and made the welkin ring 


48 


ASTORIA. 


with old French ditties, mingled with Indian yelps and 
yellings. 

Such was the Northwest Company in its powerful and 
prosperous days, when it held a kind of feudal sway over 
a vast domain of lake and forest. We are dwelling too 
long, perhaps, upon these individual pictures, endeared 
to us by the associations of early life, when, as yet a 
stripling youth, we have sat at the hospitable boards of 
the “ mighty Northwesters,” the lords of the ascendant at 
Montreal, and gazed with wondering and inexperienced 
eye at the baronial wassailing, and listened with aston¬ 
ished ear to their tales of hardships and adventures. It 
is one object of our task, however, to present scenes of 
the rough life of the wilderness, and we are tempted to 
fix these few memorials of a transient state of things fast 
passing into oblivion ;—for the feudal state of Fort Wil¬ 
liam is at an end ; its council chamber is silent and de¬ 
serted ; its banquet hall no longer echoes to the burst of 
loyalty, or the “ auld world ” ditty; the lords of the 
lakes and forests have passed away ; and the hospitable 
magnates of Montreal—where are they ? 


CHAPTER EL 


BISB OF THE MACKINAW COMPANY.—ATTEMPT OF THE AMERICAN GOVERN¬ 
MENT TO COUNTERACT FOREIGN INFLUENCE OVER THE INDIAN TRIBES.— 
JOHN JACOB ASTOR.—HIS BIRTH-PLACE.—HIS ARRIVAL IN THE UNITED 
STATES.—WHAT FIRST TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO THE FUR TRADE.— HIS 
CHARACTER, ENTERPRISES, AND SUCCESS.—HIS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE 
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.—ORIGIN OF THE AMERICAN FUR COMPANY. 


HE success of the Northwest Company stimu¬ 
lated further enterprise in this opening and 
apparently boundless field of profit. The traf¬ 
fic of that company lay principally in the high northern 
latitudes, while there were immense regions to the south 
and west, known to abound with valuable peltries ; but 
which, as yet, had been but little explored by the fur 
trader. A new association of British merchants was 
therefore formed, to prosecute the trade in this direc¬ 
tion. The chief factory was established at the old em¬ 
porium of Michilimackinac, from which place the asso¬ 
ciation took its name, and was commonly called the 
Mackinaw Company. 

While the Northwesters continued to push their enter¬ 



prises into the hyperborean regions from their strong¬ 
hold at Fort William, and to hold almost sovereign sway 
over the tribes of the upper lakes and rivers, the Mack¬ 
inaw Company sent forth their light perogues and barks, 
4 49 






50 


ASTORIA . 


by Green Bay, Fox River, and the Wisconsin, to that 
great artery of the West, the Mississippi; and down 
that stream to all its tributary rivers. In this way they 
hoped soon to monopolize the trade with all the tribes 
on the southern and western waters, and of those vast 
tracts comprised in ancient Louisiana. 

The government of the United States began to view 
with a wary eye the growing influence thus acquired by 
combinations of foreigners, over the aboriginal tribes 
inhabiting its territories, and endeavored to counteract 
it. For this purpose, as early as 1796, the government 
sent out agents to establish rival trading houses on the 
frontier, so as to supply the wants of the Indians, to 
link their interests and feelings with those of the people 
of the United States, and to divert this important branch 
of trade into national channels. 

The expedition, however, was unsuccessful, as most 
commercial expedients are prone to be, where the dull 
patronage of government is counted upon to outvie the 
keen activity of private enterprise. What government 
failed to effect, however, with all its patronage and all its 
agents, was at length brought about by the enterprise 
and perseverance of a single merchant, one of its adopted 
citizens ; and this brings us to speak of the individual 
whose enterprise is the especial subject of the following 
pages ; a man whose name and character are worthy of 
being enrolled in the history of commerce, as illustrating 
its noblest aims and soundest maxims. A few brief anec¬ 
dotes of his early life, and of the circumstances which 


JOHN JACOB AS TOE. 51 

first determined him to the branch of commerce of which 
we are treating, cannot be but interesting. 

John Jacob Astor, the individual in question, was 
born in the honest little German village of Waldorf, near 
Heidelberg, on the banks of the Rhine. He was brought 
up in the simplicity of rural life, but, while yet a mere 
stripling, left his home, and launched himself amid the 
busy scenes of London, having had, from his very boy¬ 
hood, a singular presentiment that he would ultimately 
arrive at great fortune. 

At the close of the American Revolution he was still in 
London, and scarce on the threshold of active life. An 
elder brother had been for some few years resident in the 
United States, and Mr. Astor determined to follow him, 
and to seek his fortunes in the rising country. Investing 
a small sum which he had amassed since leaving his 
native village, in merchandise suited to the American 
market, he embarked, in the month of November, 1783, 
in a ship bound to Baltimore, and arrived in Hampton 
Roads in the month of January. The winter was ex¬ 
tremely severe, and the ship, with many others, was 
detained by the ice in and about Chesapeake Bay for 
nearly three months. 

During this period, the passengers of the various ships 
used occasionally to go on shore, and mingle sociably 
together. In this way Mr. Astor became acquainted with 
a countryman of his, a furrier by trade. Having had a 
previous impression that this might be a lucrative trade 
in the New World, he made many inquiries of his new 


52 


ASTORIA . 


acquaintance on the subject, who cheerfully gave him all 
the information in his power as to the quality and value 
of different furs, and the mode of carrying on the traffic. 
He subsequently accompanied him to New York, and, by 
his advice, Mr. Astor was induced to invest the proceeds 
of his merchandise in furs. With these he sailed from 
New York to London in 1784, disposed of them advan¬ 
tageously, made himself further acquainted with the 
course of the trade, and returned the same year to New 
York, with a view to settle in the United States. 

He now devoted himself to the branch of commerce 
with which he had thus casually been made acquainted. 
He began his career, of course, on the narrowest scale ; 
but he brought to the task a persevering industry, rigid 
economy, and strict integrity. To these were added an 
aspiring spirit that always looked upwards ; a genius 
bold, fertile, and expansive ; a sagacity quick to grasp 
and convert every circumstance to its advantage, and a 
singular and never wavering confidence of signal success.* 

As yet, trade in peltries was not organized in the 
United States, and could not be said to form a regular line 
of business. Furs and skins were casually collected by 
the country traders in their dealings with the Indians or 

* An instance of this buoyant confidence, which no doubt aided to pro¬ 
duce the success it anticipated, we have from the lips of Mr. A. himself. 
While yet almost a stranger in the city, and in very narrow circum¬ 
stances, he passed by where a row of houses had just been erected in 
Broadway, and which, from the superior style of their architecture, were 
the talk and boast of the city. “ I’ll build, one day or other, a greater 
house than any of these, in this very street,” said he to himself. He has 
accomplished his prediction. 


DEALINGS IN CANADA. 


53 


the white hunters, but the main supply was derived from 
Canada. As Mr. Astor s means increased, he made an¬ 
nual visits to Montreal, where he purchased furs from 
the houses at that place engaged in the trade. These he 
shipped from Canada to London, no direct trade being 
allowed from that colony to any but the mother country. 

In 1794 or ’95, a treaty with Great Britain removed the 
restrictions imposed upon the trade with the colonies, 
and opened a direct commercial intercourse between 
Canada and the United States. Mr. Astor was in London 
at the time, and immediately made a contract with the 
agents of the Northwest Company for furs. He was now 
enabled to import them from Montreal into the United 
States for the home supply, and to be shipped thence to 
different parts of Europe, as well as to China, which has 
ever been the best market for the richest and finest kinds 
of peltry. 

The treaty in question provided, likewise, that the 
military posts occupied by the British within the terri¬ 
torial limits of the United States, should be surrendered. 
Accordingly, Oswego, Niagara, Detroit, Michilimackinac, 
and other posts on the American side of the lakes, were 
given up. An opening was thus made for the American 
merchant to trade on the confines of Canada, and within 
the territories of the United States. After an interval of 
some years, about 1807, Mr. Astor embarked in this trade 
on his own account. His capital and resources had by 
this time greatly augmented, and he had risen from small 


54 


ASTORIA. 


beginnings to take bis place among tbe first merchants 
and financiers of the country. His genius had ever been 
in advance of his circumstances, prompting him to new 
and wide fields of enterprise beyond the scope of ordi¬ 
nary merchants. With all his enterprise and resources, 
however, he soon found the power and influence of the 
Michilimackinac (or Mackinaw) Company too great for 
him, having engrossed most of the trade within the 
American borders. 

A plan had to be devised to enable him to enter into 
successful competition. He was aware of the wish of the 
American government, already stated, that the fur trade 
within its boundaries should be in the hands of Ameri¬ 
can citizens, and of the ineffectual measures it had taken 
to accomplish that object. He now offered, if aided and 
protected by government, to turn the whole of that trade 
into American channels. He was invited to unfold his 
plans to government, and they were warmly approved, 
though the executive could give no direct aid. 

Thus countenanced, however, he obtained, in 1809, a 
charter from the legislature of the State of New York, 
incorporating a company under the name of “ The Ameri¬ 
can Fur Company,” with a capital of one million of dol¬ 
lars, with the privilege of increasing it to two millions. 
The capital was furnished by himself—he, in fact, con¬ 
stituted the company; for, though he had a board of 
directors, they were merely nominal; the whole business 
was conducted on his plans and with his resources, but 


SOUTHWEST COMPANY. 


55 


lie preferred to do so under the imposing and formidable 
aspect of a corporation, rather than in his individual 
name, and his policy was sagacious and effective. 

As the Mackinaw Company still continued its rivalry, 
and as the fur trade would not advantageously admit of 
competition, he made a new arrangement in 1811, by 
which, in conjunction with certain partners of the North¬ 
west Company, and other persons engaged in the fur 
trade, he bought out the Mackinaw Company, and 
merged that and the American Fur Company into a new 
association, to be called the “Southwest Company.” 
This he likewise did with the privity and approbation of 
the American government. 

By this arrangement Mr. Astor became proprietor of 
one half of the Indian establishments and goods which 
the Mackinaw Company had within the territory of the 
Indian country in the United States, and it was under' 
stood that the whole was to be surrendered into his 
hands at the expiration of five years, on condition that 
the American Company would not trade within the Brit¬ 
ish dominions. 

Unluckily, the war which broke out in 1812 between 
Great Britain and the United States suspended the asso¬ 
ciation ; and, after the war, it was entirely dissolved ; 
Congress having passed a law prohibiting the British fur 
traders from prosecuting their enterprises within the ter¬ 
ritories of the United States. 


CHAPTER IXL 


FUR TRADE IN THE PACIFIC.—AMERICAN COASTING VOYAGES.— RUSSIAN IN¬ 
TERPRISES.—DISCOVERY OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER.—CARVER’S PROJECT TO 
FOUND A SETTLEMENT THERE.—MACKENZIE’S EXPEDITION.—LEWIS AND 
CLARKE’S JOURNEY ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.—MR. ASTOR’S GRAND 
COMMERCIAL SCHEME.—HIS CORRESPONDENCE ON THE SUBJECT WITH MR. 
JEFFERSON.—HIS NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE NORTHWEST COMPANY.—HIS 
STEPS TO CARRY HIS SCHEME INTO EFFECT. 

HXLE the various companies we have noticed 
were pushing their enterprises far and wide in 
the wilds of Canada, and along the course of 
the great western waters, other adventurers, intent on 
the same objects, were traversing the watery wastes of 
the Pacific and skirting the northwest coast of America. 
The last voyage of that renowned but unfortunate dis¬ 
coverer, Captain Cook, had made known the vast quanti¬ 
ties of the sea-otter to be found along that coast, and the 
immense prices to be obtained for its fur in China. It 
was as if a new gold coast had been discovered. Indi¬ 
viduals from various countries dashed into this lucrative 
traffic, so that in the year 1792, there were twenty-one 
vessels under different flags, plying along the coast and 
trading with the natives. The greater part of them were 
American, and owned by Boston merchants. They gen¬ 
erally remained on the coast and about the adjacent seas, 
for two years, carrying on as wandering and adventurous 








RUSSIAN ENTERPRISES. 


57 


a commerce on the water as did the traders and trappers 
on land. Their trade extended along the whole coast 
from California to the high northern latitudes. They 
would run in near shore, anchor, and wait for the natives 
to come off in their canoes with peltries. The trade ex¬ 
hausted at one place, they would up anchor and off to 
another. In this way they would consume the summer, 
and when autumn came on, would run down to the Sand¬ 
wich Islands and winter in some friendly and plentiful 
harbor. In the following year they would resume their 
summer trade, commencing at California and proceeding 
north : and, having in the course of the two seasons col¬ 
lected a sufficient cargo of peltries, would make the best 
of their way to China. Here they would sell their furs, 
take in teas, nankeens, and other merchandise, and return 
to Boston, after an absence of two or three years. 

The people, however, who entered most extensively 
and effectively in the fur trade of the Pacific, were the 
Russians. Instead of making casual voyages, in tran¬ 
sient ships, they established regular trading houses in 
the high latitudes, along the northwest coast of America, 
and upon the chain of the Aleutian Islands between 
Kamtschatka and the promontory of Alaska. 

To promote and protect these enterprises, a company 
was incorporated by the Russian government with exclu¬ 
sive privileges, and a capital of two hundred and sixty 
thousand pounds sterling; and the sovereignty of that 
part of the American continent, along the coast of which 
the posts had been established, was claimed by the Rus- 


58 


ASTORIA . 


sian crown, on the plea that the land had been discov¬ 
ered and occupied by its subjects. 

As China was the grand mart for the furs collected in 
these quarters, the Russians had the advantage over 
their competitors in the trade. The latter had to take 
their peltries to Canton, which, however, was a mere re¬ 
ceiving mart, from whence they had to be distributed 
over the interior of the empire and sent to the northern 
parts, where there was the chief consumption. The Rus¬ 
sians, on the contrary, carried their furs, by a shorter 
voyage, directly to the northern parts of the Chinese 
empire ; thus being able to afford them in the market 
without the additional cost of internal transportation. 

We come now to the immediate field of operation of 
the great enterprise we have undertaken to illustrate. 

Among the American ships which traded along the 
northwest coast in 1792, was the Columbia, Captain 
Gray, of Boston. In the course of her voyage she dis¬ 
covered the mouth of a large river in lat. 46° 19 north. 
Entering it with some difficulty, on account of sand-bars 
and breakers, she came to anchor in a spacious bay. A 
boat was well manned, and sent on shore to a village on 
the beach, but all the inhabitants fled excepting the aged 
and infirm. The kind manner in which these were 
treated, and the presents given to them, gradually lured 
back the others, and a friendly intercourse took place. 
They had never seen a ship or a white man. When they 
had first descried the Columbia, they had supposed it a 
floating island; then some monster of the deen ; but 


DISCOVERT OF THE COLUMBIA 


59 


when they saw the boat putting for shore with human 
beings on board, they considered them cannibals sent by 
the Great Spirit to ravage the country and devour the 
inhabitants. Captain Gray did not ascend the river 
farther than the bay in question, which continues to bear 
his name. After putting to sea, he fell in with the cel¬ 
ebrated discoverer, Vancouver, and informed him of his 
discovery, furnishing him with a chart which he had 
made of the river. Vancouver visited the river, and his 
lieutenant, Broughton, explored it by the aid of Captain 
Gray’s chart; ascending it upwards of one hundred 
miles, until within view of a snowy mountain, to which 
he gave the name of Mount Hood, which it still retains. 

The existence of this river, however, was known long 
before the visits of Gray and Vancouver, but the in¬ 
formation concerning it was vague and indefinite, being 
gathered from the reports of Indians. It was spoken of 
by travellers as the Oregon, and as the Great River of 
the West. A Spanish ship is said to have been wrecked 
at the mouth, several of the crew of which lived for some 
time among the natives. The Columbia, however, is be¬ 
lieved to be the first ship that made a regular discovery 
and anchored within its waters, and it has since gen¬ 
erally borne the name of that vessel. 

As early as 1763, shortly after the acquisition of the 
Canadas by Great Britain, Captain Jonathan Carver, who 
had been in the British provincial army, projected a 
journey across the continent between the forty-third and 
forty-sixth degrees of northern latitude to the shores of 


60 


ASTORIA. 


the Pacific Ocean. His objects were to ascertain the 
breadth of the continent at its broadest part, and to de¬ 
termine on some place on the shores of the Pacific, 
where government might establish a post to facilitate the 
discovery of a northwest passage, or a communication 
between Hudson’s Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This 
place he presumed would be somewhere about the 
Straits of Annian, at which point he supposed the Ore¬ 
gon disembogued itself. It was his opinion, also, that a 
settlement on this extremity of America would disclose 
new sources of trade, promote many useful discoveries, 
and open a more direct communication with China and 
the English settlements in the East Indies, than that by 
the Cape of Good Hope or the Straits of Magellan.* 
This enterprising and intrepid traveller was twice baffled 
in individual efforts to accomplish this great journey. 
In 1774, he was joined in the scheme by Richard Whit¬ 
worth, a member of Parliament, and a man of wealth. 
Their enterprise was projected on a broad and bold plan. 
They were to take with them fifty or sixty men, artificers 
and mariners. With these they were to make their way 
up one of the branches of the Missouri, explore the 
mountains for the source of the Oregon, or River of the 
West, and sail down that river to its supposed exit, near 
the Straits of Annian. Here they were to erect a fort, and 
build the vessels necessary to carry their discoveries by 


♦ Carver’s Travels, Introd. b. iii. Philad. 1796. 


MACKENZIE’S DISCOVERIES, 


61 


sea into effect. Tlieir plan had the sanction of the Brit¬ 
ish government, and grants and other requisites were 
nearly completed, when the breaking out of the American 
Revolution once more defeated the undertaking.* 

The expedition of Sir Alexander Mackenzie in 1793, 
across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, which he 
reached in lat. 52° 20' 48", again suggested the possibility 
of linking together the trade of both sides of the conti¬ 
nent. In lat. 52° 30' he had descended a river for some 
distance which flowed towards the south, and was called 
by the natives Tacoutche Tesse, and which he erroneous¬ 
ly supposed to be the Columbia. It was afterwards ascer¬ 
tained that it emptied itself in lat. 49°, whereas the mouth 
of the Columbia is about three degrees further south. 

When Mackenzie some years subsequently published 
an account of his expeditions, he suggested the policy of 
opening an intercourse between the Atlantic and Pacific 
oceans, and forming regular establishments through the 
interior and at both extremes, as well as along the coasts 
and islands. By this means, he observed, the entire 
command of the fur trade of North America might be 
obtained from lat. 48° north, to the pole, excepting that 
portion held by the Russians, for as to the American 
adventurers who had hitherto enjoyed the traffic along 
the northwest coast, they would instantly disappear, he 
added, before a well regulated trade. 


* Carver’s Travels, p. 360. Philad. 1706. 


62 


ASTORIA. 


A scheme of this kind, however, was too vast and haz¬ 
ardous for individual enterprise ; it could only be under¬ 
taken by a company under the sanction and protection of 
a government; and as there might be a clashing of 
claims between the Hudson’s Bay and Northwest Com¬ 
pany, the one holding by right of charter, the other by 
right of possession, he proposed that the two companies 
should coalesce in this great undertaking. The long- 
cherished jealousies of these two companies, however, 
were too deep and strong to allow them to listen to such 
counsel. 

In the meantime the attention of the American govern¬ 
ment was attracted to the subject, and the memorable 
expedition under Messrs. Lewis and Clarke, fitted out 
These gentlemen, in 1804, accomplished the enterprise 
which had been projected by Carver and Whitworth, in 
1774. They ascended the Missouri, passed through the 
stupendous gates of the Kocky Mountains, hitherto un¬ 
known to white men; discovered and explored the upper 
waters of the Columbia, and followed that river down to 
its mouth, where their countryman, Gray, had anchored 
about twelve years previously. Here they passed the 
winter, and returned across the mountains in the follow¬ 
ing spring. The reports published by them of their ex¬ 
pedition, demonstrated the practicability of establishing 
a line of communication across the continent, from the 
Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. 

It was then that the idea presented itself to the mind 


MR. ASTORS'S PROJECT. 


63 


of Mr. Astor, of grasping with his individual hand this 
great enterprise, which for years had been dubiously yet 
desirously contemplated by powerful associations and 
maternal governments. For some time he revolved the 
idea in his mind, gradually extending and maturing his 
plans as his means of executing them augmented. The 
main feature of his scheme was to establish a line of 
trading posts along the Missouri and the Columbia, to 
the mouth of the latter, where was to be founded the 
chief trading house or mart. Inferior posts would be 
established in the interior, and on all the tributary 
streams of the Columbia, to trade with the Indians; 
these posts would draw their supplies from the main 
establishment, and bring to it the peltries they collected. 
Coasting craft would be built and fitted out, also, at the 
mouth of the Columbia, to trade, at favorable seasons, all 
along the northwest coast, and return, with the proceeds 
of their voyages, to this place of deposit. Thus all the 
Indian trade, both of the interior and the coast, would 
converge to this point, and thence derive its sustenance. 

A ship was to be sent annually from New York to this 
main establishment with reinforcements and supplies, 
and with merchandise suited to the trade. It would take 
on board the furs collected during the preceding year, 
carry them to Canton, invest the proceeds in the rich 
merchandise of China, and return thus freighted to New 
York. 

As, in extending the American trade along the coast to 


64 


ASTORIA. 


the northward, it might be brought into the vicinity of 
the Russian Fur Company, and produce a hostile rivalry, 
it was part of the plan of Mr. Astor to conciliate the 
good-will of that company by the most amicable and 
beneficial arrangements. The Russian establishment was 
chiefly dependent for its supplies upon transient trading 
vessels from the United States. These vessels, however, 
were often of more harm than advantage. Being owned 
by private adventurers, or casual voyagers, who cared 
only for present profit, and had no interest in the per¬ 
manent prosperity of the trade, they were reckless in 
their dealings with the natives, and made no scruple of 
supplying them with fire-arms. In this way several 
fierce tribes in the vicinity of the Russian posts, or 
within the range of their trading excursions, were fur¬ 
nished with deadly means of warfare, and rendered trou¬ 
blesome and dangerous neighbors. 

The Russian government had made representations to 
that of the United States of these malpractices on the 
part of its citizens, and urged to have this traffic in arms 
prohibited; but, as it did not infringe any municipal 
law, our government could not interfere. Yet, still it 
regarded, with solicitude, a traffic which, if persisted in, 
might give offence to Russia, at that time almost the only 
friendly power to us. In this dilemma the government 
had applied to Mr. Astor, as one conversant in this 
branch of trade, for information that might point out a 
way to remedy the evil. This circumstance had sug- 


LETTER OF MR. JEFFERSON 


66 


gested to him the idea of supplying the Russian estab¬ 
lishment regularly by means of the annual ship that 
should visit the settlement at the mouth of the Colum¬ 
bia (or Oregon); by this means the casual trading ves¬ 
sels would be excluded from those parts of the coast 
where their malpractices were so injurious to the Rus¬ 
sians. 

Such is a brief outline of the enterprise projected by 
Mr. Astor, but which continually expanded in his mind. 
Indeed it is due to him to say that he was not actuated 
by mere motives of individual profit. He was already 
wealthy beyond the ordinary desires of man, but he now 
aspired to that honorable fame which is awarded to men 
of similar scope of mind, who by their great commercial 
enterprises have enriched nations, peopled wildernesses, 
and extended the bounds of empire. He considered his 
projected establishment at the mouth of the Columbia as 
the emporium to an immense commerce ; as a colony 
that would form the germ of a wide civilization; that 
would, in fact, carry the American population across 
the Rocky Mountains and spread it along the shores of 
the Pacific, as it already animated the shores of the At¬ 
lantic. 

As Mr. Astor, by the magnitude of his commercial and 
financial relations, and the vigor and scope of his self- 
taught mind, had elevated himself into the consideration 
of government and the communion and correspondence 
with leading statesmen, he, at an early period, communi- 
5 


66 


ASTORIA. 


cated his schemes to President Jefferson, soliciting the 
countenance of government. How highly they were 
esteemed by that eminent man, we may judge by the 
following passage, written by him some time afterwards 
to Mr. Astor. 

“ I remember well having invited your proposition on 
this subject,* and encouraged it with the assurance of 
every facility and protection which the government could 
properly afford. I considered, as a great public acquisi¬ 
tion, the commencement of a settlement on that point of 
the western coast of America, and looked forward with 
gratification to the time when its descendants should 
have spread themselves through the whole length of that 
coast, covering it with free and independent Americans, 
unconnected with us but by the ties of blood and in¬ 
terest, and enjoying like us the rights of self-govern¬ 
ment.” 

The cabinet joined with Mr. Jefferson in warm appro¬ 
bation of the plan, and held out assurance of every pro¬ 
tection that could, consistently with general policy, be 
afforded. 

Mr. Astor now prepared to carry his scheme into 
prompt execution. He had some competition, however, 

* On this point Mr. Jefferson’s memory was in error. The proposition 
alluded to was the one, already mentioned, for the establishment of an 
American Fur Company in the Atlantic States. The great enterprise be¬ 
yond the mountains, that was to sweep the shores of the Pacific, origi¬ 
nated in the mind of Mr. Astor, and was proposed by him to the govern¬ 
ment. 


DISADVANTAGES OF RIVALRY. 


67 


to apprehend and guard against. The Northwest Com¬ 
pany, acting feebly and partially upon the suggestions of 
its former agent, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, had pushed 
one or two advanced trading posts across the Rocky 
Mountains, into a tract of country visited by that enter¬ 
prising traveller, and since named New Caledonia. This 
tract lay about two degrees north of the Columbia, and 
intervened between the territories of the United States 
and those of Russia. Its length was about five hundred 
and fifty miles, and its breadth, from the mountains to 
the Pacific, from three hundred to three hundred and 
fifty geographical miles. 

Should the Northwest Company persist in extending 
their trade in that quarter, their competition might be of 
serious detriment to the plans of Mr. Astor. It is true 
they would contend with him to a vast disadvantage, 
from the checks and restrictions to which they were sub¬ 
jected. They were straitened on one side by the rivalry 
of the Hudson’s Bay Company ; then they had no good 
post on the Pacific where they could receive supplies by 
sea for their establishments beyond the mountains ; nor, 
if they had one, could they ship their furs thence to 
China, that great mart for peltries ; the Chinese trade 
being comprised in the monopoly of the East India 
Company. Their posts beyond the mountains had to be 
supplied in yearly expeditions, like caravans, from Mon¬ 
treal, and the furs conveyed back in the same way, by 
long, precarious, and expensive routes, across the conti- 


68 


ASTORIA. 


Bent. Mr. Astor, on the contrary, would be able to sup* 
ply his proposed establishment at the mouth of the 
Columbia by sea, and to ship the furs collected there 
directly to China, so as to undersell the Northwest 
Company in the great Chinese market. 

Still, the competition of two rival companies west of 
the Rocky Mountains could not but prove detrimental to 
both, and fraught with those evils, both to the trade and 
to the Indians, that had attended similar rivalries in the 
Canadas. To prevent any contest of the kind, therefore, 
he made known his plan to the agents of the Northwest 
Company, and proposed to interest them, to the extent 
of one third, in the trade thus to be opened. Some cor¬ 
respondence and negotiation ensued. The company were 
aware of the advantages which would be possessed by 
Mr. Astor should he be able to carry his scheme into 
effect; but they anticipated a monopoly of the trade be¬ 
yond the mountains by their establishments in New Cal¬ 
edonia, and were loth to share it with an individual who 
had already proved a formidable competitor in the At¬ 
lantic trade. They hoped, too, by a timely move, to se¬ 
cure the mouth of the Columbia before Mr. Astor would 
be able to put his plans into operation; and, that key 
to the internal trade once in their possession, the whole 
country would be at their command. After some nego¬ 
tiation and delay, therefore, they declined the proposi¬ 
tion that had been made to them, but subsequently de¬ 
spatched a party for the mouth of the Columbia, to estab- 


PREPARATIONS FOR THE ENTERPRISE . 


69 


Ush a post there before any expedition sent out by Mr. 
A.stor might arrive. 

In the meantime Mr. Astor, finding his overtures re¬ 
jected, proceeded fearlessly to execute his enterprise in 
face of the whole power of the Northwest Company. 
His main establishment once planted at the mouth of the 
Columbia, he looked with confidence to ultimate success. 
Being able to reinforce and supply it amply by sea, h& 
would push his interior posts in every direction up the 
rivers and along the coast; supplying the natives at a 
lower rate, and thus gradually obliging the Northwest 
Company to give up the competition, relinquish New 
Caledonia, and retire to the other side of the moun¬ 
tains. He would then have possession of the trade, 
not merely of the Columbia and its tributaries, but of 
the regions farther north, quite to the Russian posses 
sions. Such was a part of his brilliant and comprehen¬ 
sive plan. 

He now proceeded, with all diligence, to procure proper 
agents and coadjutors, habituated to the Indian trade 
and to the life of the wilderness. Among the clerks of 
the Northwest Company were several of great capacity 
and experience, who had served out their probationary 
terms, but who, either through lack of interest and in¬ 
fluence, or a want of vacancies, had not been promoted. 
They were consequently much dissatisfied, and ready for 
any employment in which their talents and acquirements 
might be turned to better account. 


70 


ASTORIA. 


Mr. Astor made his overtures to several of these per¬ 
sons, and three of them entered into his views. One of 
these, Mr. Alexander M’Kay, had accompanied Sir Alex¬ 
ander Mackenzie in both of his expeditions to the north¬ 
west coast of America in 1789 and 1793. The other two 
were Duncan M’Dougal and Donald M’Kenzie. To these 
were subsequently added Mr. Wilson Price Hunt, of 
New Jersey. As this gentleman was a native born 
citizen of the United States, a person of great probity 
and worth, he was selected by Mr. Astor to be his chief 
agent, and to represent him in the contemplated estab¬ 
lishment. 

On the 23d of June, 1810, articles of agreement were 
entered into between Mr. Astor and those four gentle¬ 
men, acting for themselves and for the several persons 
who had already agreed to become, or should thereafter 
become, associated under the firm of “ The Pacific Fur 
Company.” 

According to these articles, Mr. Astor was to be at the 
head of the company, and to manage its affairs in New 
York. He was to furnish vessels, goods, provisions, 
arms, ammunition, and all other requisites for the enter¬ 
prise at first cost and charges, provided that they did 
not, at any time, involve an advance of more than four 
hundred thousand dollars. 

The stock of the company was to be divided into a 
hundred equal shares, with the profits accruing thereon. 
Fifty shares were to be at the disposition of Mr. Astor, 


TEE PACIFIC FUR COMPANY. 71 

and the other fifty to be divided among the partners and 
their associates. 

Mr. Astor was to have the privilege of introducing 
other persons into the connection, as partners, two of 
whom, at least, should be conversant with the Indian 
trade, and none of them entitled to more than three 
shares. 

A general meeting of the company was to be held an¬ 
nually at Columbia River, for the investigation and reg¬ 
ulation of its affairs ; at which absent members might 
be represented, and might vote by proxy under certain 
specified conditions. 

The association, if successful, was to continue for 
twenty years ; but the parties had full power to abandon 
and dissolve it within the first five years, should it be 
found unprofitable. For this term Mr. Astor covenanted 
to bear all the loss that might be incurred ; after which 
it was to be borne by all the partners, in proportion to 
their respective shares. 

The parties of the second part were to execute faith¬ 
fully such duties as might be assigned to them by a 
majority of the company on the northwest coast, and to 
repair to such place or places as the majority might 
direct. 

An agent, appointed for the term of five years, was to 
reside at the principal establishment on the northwest 
coast, and Wilson Price Hunt was the one chosen for the 
first term. Should the interests of the concern at any 


72 


ASTORIA 


time require his absence, a person was to be appointed, 
in general meeting, to take his place. 

Such were the leading conditions of this association ; 
we shall now proceed to relate the various hardy and 
eventful expeditions, by sea and land, to which it gave 
rise. 


CHAPTER IV. 


TWO EXPEDITIONS SET ON FOOT.—THE TONQUIN AND HER CREW.—C APT AW 
THORN, HIS CHARACTER.—THE PARTNERS AND CLERKS.—CANADIAN VOX* 
AGEURS, THEIR HABITS, EMPLOYMENTS, DRESS, CHARACTER, SONGS.—EXPE¬ 
DITION OF A CANADIAN BOAT AND ITS CREW BY LAND AND WATER.— 
ARRIVAL AT NEW YORK.—PREPARATIONS FOR A SEA VOYAGE.—NORTHWEST 
BRAGGARTS.—UNDERHAND PRECAUTIONS.—LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS. 

H N prosecuting his great scheme of commerce 
and colonization, two expeditions were devised 
by Mr. Astor, one by sea, the other by land. 
The former was to carry out the people, stores, ammuni¬ 
tion, and merchandise, requisite for establishing a for¬ 
tified trading post at the mouth of Columbia River. The 
latter, conducted by Mr. Hunt, was to proceed up the 
Missouri, and across the Rocky Mountains, to the same 
point; exploring a line of communication across the con¬ 
tinent, and noting the places where interior trading posts 
might be established. The expedition by sea is the one 
which comes first under consideration. 

A fine ship was provided called the Tonquin, of two 
hundred and ninety tons burden, mounting ten guns, 
with a crew of twenty men. She carried an assortment 
of merchandise for trading with the natives of the sea¬ 
board and of the interior, together with the frame of a 
schooner, to be employed in the coasting trade. Seeds 
also were provided for the cultivation of the soil, and 








74 


ASTORIA. 


nothing was neglected for the necessary supply of the 
establishment. TLe command of the ship was intrusted 
to Jonathan Thorn, of New York, a lieutenant in the 
United States navy, on leave of absence. He was a man 
of courage and firmness, who had distinguished himself 
in our Tripolitan war, and, from being accustomed to 
naval discipline, was considered by Mr. Astor as well 
fitted to take charge of an expedition of the kind. Four 
of the partners were to embark in the ship, namely, 
Messrs. M’Kay, M’Dougal, David Stuart, and his nephew, 
Bobert Stuart. Mr. M’Dougal was empowered by Mr. 
Astor to act as his proxy in the absence of Mr. Hunt, to 
vote for him and in his name, on any question that might 
come before any meeting of the persons interested in the 
voyage. 

Beside the partners, there were twelve clerks to go out 
in the ship, several of them natives of Canada, who had 
some experience in the Indian trade. They were bound 
to the service of the company for five years, at the rate 
of one hundred dollars a year, payable at the expiration 
of the term, and an annual equipment of clothing to the 
amount of forty dollars. In case of ill conduct they were 
liable to forfeit their wages and be dismissed; but, 
should they acquit themselves well, the confident expec¬ 
tation was held out to them of promotion, and partner¬ 
ship. Their interests were thus, to some extent, identi¬ 
fied with those of the company. 

Several artisans were likewise to sail in the ship, for 
the supply of the colony ; but the most peculiar and 


CANADIAN “VOYAGEURS: 


75 


characteristic part of this motley embarkation consisted 
of thirteen Canadian “ voyageurs,” who had enlisted for 
five years. As this class of functionaries will continually 
recur in the course of the following narrations, and as 
they form one of those distinct and strongly marked 
castes or orders of people, springing up in this vast con¬ 
tinent out of geographical circumstances, or the varied 
pursuits, habitudes, and origins of its population, we 
shall sketch a few of their characteristics for the infor¬ 
mation of the reader. 

The “ voyageurs ” form a kind of confraternity in the 
Canadas, like the arrieros, or carriers of Spain, and, 
like them, are employed in long internal expeditions of 
travel and traffic: with this difference, that the arrieros 
travel by land, the voyageurs by water ; the former 
with mules and horses, the latter with batteaux and 
canoes. The voyageurs may be said to have sprung up 
out of the fur trade, having originally been employed 
by the early French merchants in their trading expedi¬ 
tions through the labyrinth of rivers and lakes of the 
boundless interior. They were coeval with the coureurs 
des hois, or rangers of the woods, already noticed, and, 
like them, in the intervals of their long, arduous, and 
laborious expeditions, were prone to pass their time in 
idleness and revelry about the trading posts or settle¬ 
ments ; squandering their hard earnings in heedless con¬ 
viviality, and rivaling their neighbors, the Indians, in 
indolent indulgence and an imprudent disregard of the 


morrow. 


76 


ASTORIA. 


When Canada passed under British domination, and 
the old French trading houses were broken up, the voy- 
ageurs, like the coureurs des bois, were for a time dis¬ 
heartened and disconsolate, and with difficulty could 
reconcile themselves to the service of the new-comers, so 
different in habits, manners, and language from their 
former employers. By degrees, however, they became 
accustomed to the change, and at length came to con¬ 
sider the British fur traders, and especially the members 
of the Northwest Company, as the legitimate lords of 
creation. 

The dress of these people is generally half civilized, 
half savage. They wear a capot or surcoat, made of a 
blanket, a striped cotton shirt, cloth trowsers, or leathern 
leggins, moccasins of deer-skin, and a belt of variegated 
worsted, from which are suspended the knife, tobacco- 
pouch, and other implements. Their language is of the 
same piebald character, being a French patois, embroid¬ 
ered with Indian and English words and phrases. 

The lives of the voyageurs are passed in wild and ex¬ 
tensive rovings, in the service of individuals, but more 
especially of the fur traders. They are generally of 
French descent, and inherit much of the gayety and 
lightness of heart of their ancestors, being full of anec¬ 
dote and song, and ever ready for the dance. They in¬ 
herit, too, a fund of civility and complaisance; and, 
instead of that hardness and grossness which men in 
laborious life are apt to indulge towards each other, they 


CANADIAN VOYAGEURS. 


77 


are mutually obliging and accommodating ; interchanging 
kind offices, yielding each other assistance and comfort 
in every emergency, and using the familiar appellations 
of “ cousin ” and “ brother ” when there is in fact no rela¬ 
tionship. Their natural good-will is probably heightened 
by a community of adventure and hardship in their pre¬ 
carious and wandering life. 

No men are more submissive to their leaders and em¬ 
ployers, more capable of enduring hardship, or more 
good-humored under privations. Never are they so 
happy as when on long and rough expeditions, toiling up 
rivers or coasting lakes; encamping at night on the 
borders, gossiping round their fires, and bivouacking in 
the open air. They are dextrous boatmen, vigorous and 
adroit with the oar and paddle, and will row from morn¬ 
ing until night without a murmur. The steersman often 
sings an old traditionary French song, with some regular 
burden in which they all join, keeping time with then- 
oars ; if at any time they flag in spirits or relax in exer¬ 
tion, it is but necessary to strike up a song of the kind to 
put them all in fresh spirits and activity. The Canadian 
waters are vocal with these little French chansons, that 
have been echoed from mouth to mouth and transmitted 
from father to son, from the earliest days of the colony ; 
and it has a pleasing effect, in a still golden summer 
evening, to see a batteau gliding across the bosom of a 
lake and dipping its oars to the cadence of these quaint 
old ditties, or sweeping along in full chorus on a bright 


78 


ASTORIA. 


sunny morning, down the transparent current of one of 
the Canada rivers. 

But we are talking of things that are fast fading away! 
The march of mechanical invention is driving everything 
poetical before it. The steamboats, which are fast dis¬ 
pelling the wildness and romance of our lakes and rivers, 
and aiding to subdue the world into commonplace, are 
proving as fatal to the race of the Canadian voyageurs as 
they have been to that of the boatmen of the Mississippi. 
Their glory is departed. They are no longer the lords of 
our internal seas, and the great navigators of the wilder¬ 
ness. Some of them may still occasionally be seen coast¬ 
ing the lower lakes with their frail barks, and pitching 
their camps and lighting their fires upon the shores; but 
their range is fast contracting to those remote waters and 
shallow and obstructed rivers unvisited by the steam¬ 
boat. In the course of years they will gradually disap¬ 
pear ; their songs will die away like the echoes they once 
awakened, and the Canadian voyageurs will become a 
forgotten race, or remembered, like their associates, the 
Indians, among the poetical images of past times, and as 
themes for local and romantic associations. 

An instance of the buoyant temperament and the pro¬ 
fessional pride of these people was furnished in the gay 
and braggart style in which they arrived at New York to 
join the enterprise. They were determined to regale and 
astonish the people of the “ States ” with the sight of a 
Canadian boat and a Canadian crew. They accordingly 


BOATING AND BOASTING. 


79 


fitted up a large but light bark canoe, such as is used in 
the fur trade ; transported it in a wagon from the banks 
of the St. Lawrence to the shores of Lake Champlain; 
traversed the lake in it, from end to end; hoisted it 
again in a wagon and wheeled it off to Lansingburgh, 
and there launched it upon the waters of the Hudson. 
Down this river they plied their course merrily on a fine 
summer’s day, making its banks resound for the first 
time with their old French boat songs ; passing by the 
villages with whoop and halloo, so as to make the honest 
Dutch farmers mistake them for a crew of savages. In 
this way they swept, in full song and with regular flour¬ 
ish of the paddle, round New York, in a still summer 
evening, to the wonder and admiration of its inhabitants, 
who had never before witnessed on their waters, a nau¬ 
tical apparition of the kind. 

Such was the variegated band of adventurers about to 
embark in the Tonquin on this arduous and doubtful 
enterprise. While yet in port and on dry land, in the 
bustle of preparation and the excitement of novelty, all 
was sunshine and promise. The Canadians, especially, 
who, with their constitutional vivacity, have a considera¬ 
ble dash of the gascon, were buoyant and boastful, and 
great braggarts as to the future; while all those who had 
been in the service of the Northwest Company, and en¬ 
gaged in the Indian trade, plumed themselves upon their 
hardihood and their capacity to endure privations. If 
Mr. Astor ventured to hint at the difficulties they might 



80 


ASTORIA. 


have to encounter, they treated them with scorn. They 
were “ northwesters; ” men seasoned to hardships, who 
cared for neither wind nor weather. They could live 
hard, lie hard, sleep hard, eat dogs !—in a word they 
were ready to do and suffer anything for the good of the 
enterprise. With all this profession of zeal and devo¬ 
tion, Mr. Astor was not over-confident of the stability 
and firm faith of these mercurial beings. He had re¬ 
ceived information, also, that an armed brig from Halifax, 
probably at the instigation of the Northwest Company, 
was hovering on the coast, watching for the Tonquin, 
with the purpose of impressing the Canadians on board 
of her, as British subjects, and thus interrupting the 
voyage. It was a time of doubt and anxiety, when the 
relations between the United States and Great Britain 
were daily assuming a more precarious aspect and verg¬ 
ing towards that war which shortly ensued. As a pre¬ 
cautionary measure, therefore, he required that the voy- 
ageurs, as they were about to enter into the service of an 
American association, and to reside within the limits of 
the United States, should take the oaths of naturaliza¬ 
tion as American citizens. To this they readily agreed, 
and shortly afterward assured him that they had actually 
done so. It was not until after they had sailed that he 
discovered that they had entirely deceived him in the 
matter. 

The confidence of Mr. Astor was abused in another 
quarter. Two of the partners, both of them Scotchmen, 


ABUSE OF CONFIDENCE. 


81 


and recently in the service of the Northwest Company, 
had misgivings as to an enterprise which might clash 
with the interests and establishments protected by the 
British flag. They privately waited upon the British 
minister, Mr. Jackson, then in New York, laid open to 
him the whole scheme of Mr. Astor, though intrusted to 
them in confidence, and dependent, in a great measure, 
upon secrecy at the outset for its success, and inquired 
whether they, as British subjects, could lawfully engage 
in it. The reply satisfied their scruples, while the infor¬ 
mation they imparted excited the surprise and admira¬ 
tion of Mr. Jackson, that a private individual should 
have conceived and set on foot at his own risk and ex¬ 
pense so great an enterprise. 

This step on the part of those gentlemen was not 
known to Mr. Astor until some time afterwards, or it 
might have modified the trust and confidence reposed in 
them. 

To guard against any interruption to the voyage by 
the armed brig, said to be off the harbor, Mr. Astor ap¬ 
plied to Commodore Bodgers, at that time commanding 
at New York, to give the Tonquin safe convoy off the 
coast. The commodore having received from a high 
official source assurance of the deep interest which the 
government took in the enterprise, sent directions to 
Captain Hull, at that time cruising off the harbor, in the 
frigate Constitution, to afford the Tonquin the required 
protection when she should put to sea. 

6 


82 


ASTORIA . 


Before tlie day of embarkation, Mr. Astor addressed a 
letter of instruction to the four partners who were to sail 
in the ship. In this he enjoined them, in the most ear¬ 
nest manner, to cultivate harmony and unanimity, and 
recommended that all differences of opinions on points 
connected with the objects and interests of the voyage 
should be discussed by the whole, and decided by 
a majority of votes. He, moreover, gave them espe¬ 
cial caution as to their conduct on arriving at their des¬ 
tined port; exhorting them to be careful to make a fa¬ 
vorable impression upon the wild people among whom 
their lot and the fortunes of the enterprise would be 
cast. “If you find them kind,” said he, “as I hope 
you will, be so to them. If otherwise, act with caution 
and forbearance, and convince them that you come as 
friends.” 

With the same anxious forethought he wrote a letter 
of instructions to Captain Thorn, in which he urged the 
strictest attention to the health of himself and his crew, 
and to the promotion of good-humor and harmony on 
board his ship. “To prevent any misunderstanding,” 
added he, “ will require your particular good manage¬ 
ment.” His letter closed with an injunction of wariness 
in his intercourse with the natives, a subject on which 
Mr. Astor was justly sensible he could not be too ear¬ 
nest. “ I must recommend you,” said he, “ to be particu¬ 
larly careful on the coast, and not to rely too much on 
the friendly disposition of the natives. All accidents 


PARTING ADMONITIONS. 


83 


which have as yet happened there arose from too much 
confidence in the Indians.” 

The reader will bear these instructions in mind, as 
events will prove their wisdom and importance, and the 
disasters which ensued in consequence of the neglect of 
them. 


CHAPTER V. 


8AHJNG OF THE TONQUIN.—A RIGID COMMANDER AND A RECKLESS CREW.— 
LANDSMEN ON SHIPBOARD.— FRESH-WATER SAILORS AT SEA.— LUBBER 
NESTS.—SHIP FARE.—A LABRADOR VETERAN.—LITERARY CLERKS.—CURI¬ 
OUS TRAVELLERS.—ROBINSON CRUSOE’S ISLAND.—QUARTER-DECK QUARRELS.. 
—FALKLAND ISLANDS.—A WILD-GOOSE CHASE.—PORT EGMONT.—EPITAPH 
HUNTING.—OLD MORTALITY.—PENGUIN SHOOTING.—SPORTSMEN LEFT IN 
THE LURCH.—A HARD PULL.—FURTHER ALTERCATIONS.—ARRIVAL AT OWY- 
HEB. 



N the eighth of September, 1810, the Tonquiu 
put to sea, where she was soon joined by the 
frigate Constitution. The wind was fresh and 
fair from the southwest, and the ship was soon out of 
sight of land and free from the apprehended danger of 
interruption. The frigate, therefore, gave her “ God 
speed,” and left her to her course. 

The harmony so earnestly enjoined by Mr. Astor on 
this heterogeneous crew, and which had been so con¬ 
fidently promised in the buoyant moments of prepara¬ 
tion, was doomed to meet with a check at the very 
outset. 

Captain Thorn was an honest, straightforward, but 
somewhat dry and dictatorial commander, who, having 
been nurtured in the system and discipline of a ship of 
war, and in a sacred opinion of the supremacy of the 
quarter-deck, was disposed to be absolute lord and mas- 

ter on board of his ship. He appears, moreover, to have 

84 







CAPTAIN DISAGREES WITH PARTNERS. 


85 


had no great opinion, from the first, of the persons em¬ 
barked with him. He had stood by with surly contempt 
while they vaunted so bravely to Mr. Astor of all they 
could do and all they could undergo ; how they could 
face all weathers, put up with all kinds of fare, and even 
eat dogs with a relish, when no better food was to be 
had. He had set them down as a set of landlubbers and 
braggadocios, and was disposed to treat them accord- 
ingly. Mr. Astor was, in his eyes, his only real em¬ 
ployer, being the father of the enterprise, who furnished 
all funds and bore all losses. The others were mere 
agents and subordinates, who lived at his expense. He 
evidently had but a narrow idea of the scope and nature 
of the enterprise, limiting his views merely to his part of 
it; everything beyond the concerns of his ship was out 
of his sphere ; and anything that interfered with the 
routine of his nautical duties put him in a passion. 

The partners, on the other hand, had been brought up 
in the service of the Northwest Company, and in a pro¬ 
found idea of the importance, dignity, and authority of a 
partner. They already began to consider themselves on 
a par with the M’Tavishes, the M’Gillivrays, the Fro¬ 
bishers, and the other magnates of the Northwest, whom 
they had been accustomed to look up to as the great 
ones of the earth ; and Ihey were a little disposed, per¬ 
haps, to wear their suddenly-acquired honors with some 
air of pretension. Mr. Astor, too, had put them on their 
mettle with respect to the captain, describing him as a 
gunpowder fellow who would command his ship in fine 


86 


ASTORIA. 


style, and, if there was any fighting to do, would “ blow 
all out of the water.” 

Thus prepared to regard each other with no very cor¬ 
dial eye, it is not to be wondered at that the parties 
soon came into collision. On the very first night Cap¬ 
tain Thorn began his man-of-war discipline by order¬ 
ing the lights in the cabin to be extinguished at eight 
o’clock. 

The pride of the partners was immediately in arms. 
This was an invasion of their rights and dignities not to 
be borne. They were on board of their own ship, and 
entitled to consult their ease and enjoyment. M’Dougal 
was the champion of their cause. He was an active, 
irritable, fuming, vainglorious little man, and elevated in 
his own opinion, by being the proxy of Mr. Astor. A 
violent altercation ensued, in the course of which Thorn 
threatened to put the partners in irons should they 
prove refractory; upon which M’Dougal seized a pistol 
and swore to be the death of the captain should he ever 
offer such an indignity. It was some time before the 
irritated parties could be pacified by the more temperate 
bystanders. 

Such was the captain’s outset with the partners. Nor 
did the clerks stand much higher in his good graces ; in¬ 
deed, he seems to have regarded all the landsmen on 
board his ship as a kind of live lumber, continually in 
the way. The poor voyageurs, too, continually irritated 
his spleen by their “ lubberly ” and unseemly habits, so 
abhorrent to one accustomed to the cleanliness of a man- 


LANDSMEN A T SEA . 


87 


of-war. These poor fresh-water sailors, so vainglorious 
on shore, and almost amphibious when on lakes and 
rivers, lost all heart and stomach the moment they were 
at sea. For days they suffered the doleful rigors and 
retchings of sea-sickness, lurking below in their berths 
in squalid state, or emerging now and then like spectres 
from the hatchways, in capotes and blankets, with dirty 
nightcaps, grizzly beard, lantern visage and unhappy 
eye, shivering about the deck, and ever and anon crawl¬ 
ing to the sides of the vessel, and offering up their trib¬ 
utes to the windward, to the infinite annoyance of the 
captain. 

His letters to Mr. Astor, wherein he pours forth the 
bitterness of his soul, and his seamanlike impatience of 
what he considers the “ lubberly ” character and conduct 
of those around him, are before us, and are amusingly 
characteristic. The honest captain is full of vexation on 
his own account, and solicitude on account of Mr. Astor, 
whose property he considers at the mercy of a most 
heterogeneous and wasteful crew. 

As to the clerks, he pronounced them mere pretenders, 
not one of whom had ever been among the Indians, nor 
farther to the northwest than Montreal, nor of higher 
rank than barkeeper of a tavern or marker of a billiard- 
table, excepting one, who had been a school-master, and 
whom he emphatically sets down for “ as foolish a 
pedant as ever lived.” 

Then as to the artisans and laborers who had been 
brought from Canada and shipped at such expense, th© 


88 


ASTORIA. 


three most respectable, according to the captain’s ac¬ 
count, were culprits, who had fled from Canada on 
account of their misdeeds ; the rest had figured in Mon¬ 
treal as draymen, barbers, waiters, and carriole drivers, 
and were the most helpless, worthless beings “ that ever 
broke sea-biscuit.” 

It may easily be imagined what a series of misunder¬ 
standings and cross-purposes would be likely to take 
place between such a crew and such a commander. The 
captain, in his zeal for the health and cleanliness of his 
ship, would make sweeping visitations to the “lubber 
nests ” of the unlucky “ voyageurs ” and their compan¬ 
ions in misery, ferret them out of their berths, make 
them air and wash themselves and their accoutrements, 
and oblige them to stir about briskly and take exer¬ 
cise. 

Nor did his disgust and vexation cease when all hands 
had recovered from sea-sickness, and become accustomed 
to the ship, foi now broke out an alarming keenness of 
appetite that threatened havoc to the provisions. What 
especially irritated the captain was the daintiness of 
some of his cabin passengers. They were loud in their 
complaints of the ship’s fare, though their table was 
served with fresh pork, hams, tongues, smoked beef, and 
puddings. “ When thwarted in their cravings for deli¬ 
cacies,” said he, “ they would exclaim it was d—d hard 
they could not live as they pleased upon their own prop¬ 
erty, being on board of their own ship, freighted with 


A VETERAN FROM LABRADOR. 


89 


their own merchandise. And these,” added he, “ are the 
fine fellows who made such boast that they could ‘eat 
dogs.’ ” 

In his indignation at what he termed their effeminacy, 
he would swear that he would never take them to sea 
again “without having Fly-market on the forecastle, 
Covent-garden on the poop, and a cool spring from Can¬ 
ada in the maintop.” 

As they proceeded on their voyage and got into the 
smooth seas and pleasant weather of the tropics, other 
annoyances occurred to vex the spirit of the captain. 
He had been crossed by the irritable mood of one of the 
partners ; he was now excessively annoyed by the good- 
humor of another. This was the elder Stuart, who was 
an easy soul, and of a social disposition. He had seen 
life in Canada, and on the coast of Labrador ; had been a 
fur trader in the former, and a fisherman on the latter ; 
and, in the course of his experience, had made various 
expeditions with voyageurs. He was accustomed, there¬ 
fore, to the familiarity which prevails between that class 
and their superiors, and the gossipings which take place 
among them when seated round a fire at their encamp¬ 
ments. Stuart was never so happy as when he could seat 
himself on the deck with a number of these men round 
him, in camping style, smoke together, passing the pipe 
from mouth to mouth, after the manner of the Indians, 
sing old Canadian boat-songs, and tell stories about 
their hardships and adventures, in the course of which 


00 


ASTORIA. 


lie rivaled Sinbad in bis long tales of tbe sea, about bis 
fishing exploits on tbe coast of Labrador. 

This gossiping familiarity shocked tbe captain’s no¬ 
tions of rank and subordination, and nothing was so 
abhorrent to him as tbe community of pipe between 
master and man, and their mingling in chorus in the out¬ 
landish boat-songs. 

Then there was another whimsical source of annoyance 
to him. Some of the young clerks, who were making 
their first voyage, and to whom everything was new and 
strange, were, very rationally, in the habit of taking 
notes and keeping journals. This was a sore abomination 
to the honest captain, who held their literary pretensions 
in great contempt. “ The collecting of materials for long 
histories of their voyages and travels,” said he, in his 
letter to Mr. Astor, “appears to engross most of their 
attention.” We can conceive what must have been the 
crusty impatience of the worthy navigator, when, on any 
trifling occurrence in the course of the voyage, quite 
commonplace in his eyes, he saw these young landsmen 
running to record it in their journals ; and what indig¬ 
nant glances he must have cast to right and left, as he 
worried about the deck, giving out his orders for the 
management of the ship, surrounded by singing, smok¬ 
ing, gossiping, scribbling groups, all, as he thought, in¬ 
tent upon the amusement of the passing hour, instead of 
the great purposes and interests of the voyage. 

It is possible the captain was in some degree right in 


CURIOUS TRAVELLERS. 


91 


his notions. Though some of the passengers had much 
to gain by the voyage, none of them had anything posi¬ 
tively to lose. They were mostly young men, in the hey¬ 
day of life; and having got into fine latitudes, upon 
smooth seas, with a well-stored ship under them, and a 
fair wind in the shoulder of the sail, they seemed to have 
got into a holiday world, and were disposed to enjoy it. 
That craving desire, natural to untravelled men of fresh 
and lively minds, to see strange lands, and to visit scenes 
famous in history or fable, was expressed by some of the 
partners and clerks, with respect to some of the storied 
coasts and islands that lay within their route. The cap¬ 
tain, however, who regarded every coast and island with 
a matter-of-fact eye, and had no more associations con¬ 
nected with them than those laid down in his sea-chart, 
considered all this curiosity as exceedingly idle and 
childish. “ In the first part of the voyage,” says he in 
his letter, “ they were determined to have it said they 
had been in Africa, and therefore insisted on my stop¬ 
ping at the Cape de Yerds. Next they said the ship 
should stop on the coast of Patagonia, for they must see 
the large and uncommon inhabitants of that place. Then 
they must go to the island where Eobinson Crusoe had 
so long lived. And lastly, they were determined to see 
the handsome inhabitants of Easter Island.” 

To all these resolves the captain opposed his peremp¬ 
tory veto, as ‘‘contrary to instructions.” Then would 
break forth an unavailing explosion of wrath on the part 


92 


ASTORIA. 


of certain of tlie partners, in the course of which they 
did not even spare Mr. Astor for his act of supereroga¬ 
tion in furnishing orders for the control of the ship while 
they were on board, instead of leaving them to be the 
judges where it would be best for her to touch, and how 
long to remain. The choleric M’Dougal took the lead in 
these railings, being, as has been observed, a little puffed 
up with the idea of being Mr. Astor’s proxy. 

The captain, however, became only so much the more 
crusty and dogged in his adherence to his orders, and 
touchy and harsh in his dealings with his passengers, 
and frequent altercations ensued. He may in some 
measure have been influenced by his seamanlike im¬ 
patience of the interference of landsmen, and his high 
notions of naval etiquette and quarter-deck authority ; 
but he evidently had an honest, trusty concern for the 
interests of his employer. He pictured to himself the 
anxious projector of the enterprise, who had disbursed 
so munificently in its outfit, calculating on the zeal, fidel¬ 
ity, and singleness of purpose of his associates and 
agents ; while they, on the other hand, having a good 
ship at their disposal, and a deep pocket at home to bear 
them out, seemed ready to loiter on every coast, and 
amuse themselves in every port. 

On the fourth of December they came in sight of the 
Falkland Islands. Having been for some time on an 
allowance of water, it was resolved to anchor here and 
obtain a supply. A boat was sent into a small bay to 


SPORTSMEN IN THE LURCH. 


93 


take soundings. Mr. M’Dougal and Mr. M’Kay took this 
occasion to go on shore, but with a request from the cap¬ 
tain that they would not detain the ship. Once on shore, 
however, they were in no haste to obey his orders, but 
rambled about in search of curiosities. The anchorage 
proving unsafe, and water difficult to be procured, the 
captain stood out to sea, and made repeated signals for 
those on shore to rejoin the ship, but it was not until 
nine at night that they came on board. 

The wind being adverse, the boat was again sent on 
shore on the following morning, and the same gentlemen 
again landed, but promised to come off at a moment’s 
warning ; they again forgot their promise in their eager 
pursuit of wild geese and sea-wolves. After a time the 
wind hauled fair, and signals were made for the boat. 
Half an hour elapsed but no boat put off. The captain 
reconnoitred the shore with his glass, and, to his infinite 
vexation, saw the loiterers in the full enjoyment of their 
“ wild-goose-chase.” Nettled to the quick, he imme¬ 
diately made sail. When those on shore saw the ship 
actually under way, they embarked with all speed, but 
had a hard pull of eight miles before they got on board, 
and then experienced but a grim reception, notwithstand¬ 
ing that they came well laden with the spoils of the 
chase. 

Two days afterwards, on the seventh of December, 
they anchored at Fort Egmont, in the same island, where 
they remained four days taking in water and making 


94 


ASTORIA. 


repairs. This was a joyous time for the landsmen. They 
pitched a tent on shore, had a boat at their command, 
and passed their time merrily in rambling about the 
island, and coasting along the shores, shooting sea-lions, 
seals, foxes, geese, ducks, and penguins. None were 
keener in pursuit of this kind of game than M’Dougal 
and David Stuart; the latter was reminded of aquatic 
sports on the coast of Labrador, and his hunting exploits 
in the Northwest. 

In the meantime the captain addressed himself steadily 
to the business of his ship, scorning the holiday spirit 
and useless pursuits of his emancipated messmates, and 
warning them, from time to time, not to wander away 
nor be out of hail. They promised, as usual, that the 
ship should never experience a moment’s detention on 
their account, but, as usual, forgot their promise. 

On the morning of the 11th, the repairs being all fin¬ 
ished, and the water casks replenished, the signal was 
given to embark, and the ship began to weigh anchor. 
At this time several of the passengers were dispersed 
about the island, amusing themselves in various ways. 
Some of the young men had found two inscriptions, in 
English, over a place where two unfortunate mariners 
had been buried in this desert island. As the inscrip¬ 
tions were nearly worn out by time and weather, they 
were playing the part of ‘‘Old Mortality,” and piously 
renewing them. The signal from the ship summoned 
them from their labors ; they saw the sails unfurled, and 


CAPTAIN’S THREAT. 


95 


that she was getting under way. The two sporting part¬ 
ners, however, Mr. M’Dougal and David Stuart, had 
strolled away to the south of the island in pursuit of 
penguins. It would never do to put off without them, as 
there was but one boat to convey the whole. 

While this delay took place on shore, the captain was 
storming on board. This was the third time his orders 
had been treated with contempt, and the ship wantonly 
detained, and it should be the last; so he spread all sail 
and put to sea, swearing he would leave the laggards to 
shift for themselves. It was in vain that those on board 
made remonstrances and entreaties, and represented the 
horrors of abandoning men upon a sterile and uninhab¬ 
ited island ; the sturdy captain was inflexible. 

In the meantime the penguin hunters had joined the 
engravers of tombstones, but not before the ship was 
already out at sea. They all, to the number of eight, 
threw themselves into their boat, which was about 
twenty feet in length, and rowed with might and main. 
For three hours and a half did they tug anxiously and 
severely at the oar, swashed occasionally by the surging 
waves of the open sea, while the ship inexorably kept 
on her course, and seemed determined to leave them be¬ 
hind. 

On board of the ship was the nephew of David Stuart, 
a young man of spirit and resolution. Seeing, as he 
thought, the captain obstinately bent upon abandoning 
his uncle and the others, he seized a pistol, and in a 


96 


ASTORIA . 


paroxysm of wrath swore he would blow out the cap¬ 
tain’s brains, unless he put about or shortened sail. 

Fortunately for all parties, the wind just then came 
ahead, and the boat was enabled to reach the ship; 
otherwise, disastrous circumstances might have ensued. 
We can hardly believe that the captain really intended to 
carry his threat into full effect, and rather think he 
meant to let the laggards off for a long pull and a hearty 
fright. He declared, however, in his letter to Mr. Astor, 
that he was serious in his threats, and there is no know¬ 
ing how far such an iron man may push his notions of 
authority. 

“ Had the wind,” writes he, “(unfortunately) not hauled 
ahead soon after leaving the harbor’s mouth, I should 
positively have left them ; and, indeed, I cannot but 
think it an unfortunate circumstance for you that it so 
happened, for the first loss in this instance would, in my 
opinion, have proved the best, as they seem to have no 
idea of the value of property, nor any apparent regard 
for your interest, although interwoven with their own.” 

This, it must be confessed, was acting with a high 
hand, and carrying a regard to the owner’s property to a 
dangerous length. Various petty feuds occurred also 
between him and the partners in respect to the goods on 
board the ship, some articles of which they wished to 
distribute for clothing among the men, or for other pur¬ 
poses which they deemed essential. The captain, how¬ 
ever, kept a mastiff watch upon the cargo, and growled 


DISPUTES BETWEEN TEE PARTNERS. 


97 


and snapped if they but offered to touch box or bale. 
“ It was contrary to orders ; it would forfeit his insur¬ 
ance ; it was out of all rule.” It was in vain they in¬ 
sisted upon their right to do so, as part owners, and as 
acting for the good of the enterprise ; the captain only 
stuck to his point the more stanchly. They consoled 
themselves, therefore, by declaring, that as soon as they 
made land, they would assert their rights, and do with 
ship and cargo as they pleased. 

Beside these feuds between the captain and the part¬ 
ners, there were feuds between the partners themselves, 
occasioned, in some measure, by jealousy of rank. 
M’Dougal and M’Kay began to draw plans for the fort, 
and other buildings of the intended establishment. They 
agreed very well as to the outline and dimensions, which 
were on a sufficiently grand scale ; but when they came 
to arrange the details, fierce disputes arose, and they 
would quarrel by the hour about the distribution of the 
doors and windows. Many were the hard words and 
hard names bandied between them on these occasions, 
according to the captain’s account. Each accused the 
other of endeavoring to assume unwarrantable power, and 
take the lead ; upon which Mr. M’Dougal would vaunt- 
ingly lay down Mr. Astor’s letter, constituting him his 
representative and proxy, a document not to be disputed. 

These wordy contests, though violent, were brief; 
(i and within fifteen minutes,” says the captain, they 
would be caressing each other like children.” 

7 


ASTORIA. 


While all this petty anarchy was agitating the little 
world within the Tonquin, the good ship prosperously 
pursued her course, doubled Cape Horn on the 25th of 
December, careered across the bosom of the Pacific, 
until, on the 11th of February, the snowy peaks of 
Owyhee were seen brightening above the horizon. 


CHAPTER VI 


OWYHEE.—SANDWICH ISLANDERS.—THEIR NAUTICAL TALENTS.—TA MA ATTMA ATT 
HIS NAYY. HIS NEGOTIATIONS.—VIEWS OF MR. ASTOR WITH RESPECT TO 
THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.—KARAKAKOOA.—ROYAL MONOPOLY OF PORK.— 
DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDERS.—GAYETIES ON SHORE.—CHRONICLER OF 
THE ISLAND.—PLACE WHERE CAPTAIN COOK WAS KILLED.—JOHN YOUNG, A 
NAUTICAL GOVERNOR.—HIS STORY.—WAITITI.—A ROYAL RESIDENCE.—A 
ROYAL VISIT.—GRAND CEREMONIALS.—CLOSE DEALING.—A ROYAL PORK 
MERCHANT.—GRIEVANCES OF A MATTER-OF-FACT MAN. 

WYHEE, or Hawaii, as it is written by more 
exact orthographers, is the largest of the clus¬ 
ter, ten in number, of the Sandwich Islands. 
It is about ninety-seven miles in length, and seventy- 
eight in breadth, rising gradually into three pyramidal 
summits or cones ; the highest, Mouna Koa, being eigh¬ 
teen thousand feet above the level of the sea, so as to 
domineer over the whole archipelago, and to be a land¬ 
mark over a wide extent of ocean. It remains a lasting 
monument of the enterprising and unfortunate Captain 
Cook, who was murdered by the natives of this island. 

The Sandwich Islanders, when first discovered, evinced 
a character superior to most of the savages of the Pacific 
isles. They were frank and open in their deportment, 
friendly and liberal in their dealings, with an apt inge¬ 
nuity apparent in all their rude inventions. 



L.cfC 








100 


ASTORIA. 


The tragical fate of the discoverer, which, for a time, 
brought them under the charge of ferocity, was, in fact, 
the result of sudden exasperation, caused by the seizure 
of their chief. 

At the time of the visit of the Tonquin, the islanders 
had profited, in many respects, by occasional intercourse 
with white men; and had shown a quickness to observe 
and cultivate those arts important to their mode of liv¬ 
ing. Originally they had no means of navigating the 
seas by which they were surrounded, superior to light 
pirogues, which were little competent to contend with the 
storms of the broad ocean. As the islanders are not in 
sight of each other, there could, therefore, be but cas¬ 
ual intercourse between them. The traffic with white 
men had put them in possession of vessels of superior 
description ; they had made themselves acquainted with 
their management, and had even made rude advances in 
the art of ship-building. 

These improvements had been promoted, in a great 
measure, by the energy and sagacity of one man, the 
famous Tamaahmaah. He had originally been a petty 
eri, or chief; but, being of an intrepid and aspiring 
nature, he had risen in rank, and, availing himself of the 
superior advantages now afforded in navigation, had 
brought the whole archipelago in subjection to his arms. 
At the time of the arrival of the Tonquin he had about 
forty schooners, of from twenty to thirty tons burden, 
and one old American ship. With these he held undis¬ 
puted sway over his insular domains, and carried on in- 


SANDWICH ISLANDS 


101 


tercourse with the chiefs or governors whom he had 
placed in command of the several islands. 

The situation of this group of islands, far in the bosom 
of the vast Pacific, and their abundant fertility, render 
them important stopping-places on the highway to China, 
or to the northwest coast of America. Here the vessels 
engaged in the fur trade touched to make repairs and 
procure provisions ; and here they often sheltered them¬ 
selves during the winters that occurred in their long 
coasting expeditions. 

The British navigators were, from the first, aware of 
the value of these islands to the purposes of commerce ; 
and Tamaahmaah, not long after he had attained the 
sovereign sway, was persuaded by Vancouver, the cele¬ 
brated discoverer, to acknowledge, on behalf of himself 
and subjects, allegiance to the king of Great Britain. 
The reader cannot but call to mind the visit which the 
royal family and court of the Sandwich Islands was, in 
late years, induced to make to the court of St. James ; 
and the serio-comic ceremonials and mock parade which 
attended that singular travesty of monarchal style. 

It was a part of the wide and comprehensive plan of 
Mr. Astor to establish a friendly intercourse between 
these islands and his intended colony, which might, for 
a time, have occasion to draw supplies thence; and he 
even had a vague idea of, some time or other, getting 
possession of one of their islands as a rendezvous for his 
ships, and a link in the chain of his commercial estab¬ 
lishments. 


102 


ASTORIA. 


On the evening of the 12th of February, the Tonquin 
anchored in the bay of Karakakooa, in the island of 
Owyhee. The surrounding shores were wild and broken, 
with overhanging cliffs and precipices of black volcanic 
rock. Beyond these, however, the country was fertile 
and well cultivated, with inclosures of yams, plantains, 
sweet potatoes, sugar-canes, and other productions of 
warm climates and teeming soils ; and the numerous 
habitations of the natives were pleasantly sheltered be¬ 
neath clumps of cocoanut and bread-fruit trees, which 
afforded both food and shade. This mingled variety of 
garden and grove swept gradually up the sides of the 
mountains, until succeeded by dense forests, which in 
turn gave place to naked and craggy rocks, until the 
summits rose into the regions of perpetual snow. 

The royal residence of Tamaahmaah was at this time 
at another island named Woahoo. The island of Owy¬ 
hee was under the command of one of his eries, or 
chiefs, who resided at the village of Tocaigh, situated 
on a different part of the coast from the bay of Karaka¬ 
kooa. 

On the morning after her arrival, the ship was sur¬ 
rounded by canoes and pirogues, filled with the islanders 
of both sexes, bringing off supplies of fruits and vege¬ 
tables, bananas, plantains, watermelons, yams, cabbages, 
and taro. The captain was desirous, however, of pur¬ 
chasing a number of hogs, but there were none to be 
had. The trade in pork was a royal monopoly, and no 
subject of the great Tamaahmaah dared to meddle with 


DRESS OF TEE SANDWICH ISLANDERS. 


103 


it Sucli provisions as they could furnish, however, were 
brought by the natives in abundance, and a lively inter¬ 
course was kept up during the day, in which the women 
mingled in the kindest manner. 

The islanders are a comely race, of a copper com¬ 
plexion. The men are tall and well made, with forms 
indicating strength and activity; the women with regu¬ 
lar and occasionally handsome features, and a lascivious 
expression, characteristic of their temperament. Their 
style of dress was nearly the same as in the days of 
Captain Cook. The men wore the maro, a band one foot 
in width and several feet in length, swathed round the 
loins, and formed of tappa, or cloth of bark ; the kihei, 
or mantle, about six feet square, tied in a knot over one 
shoulder, passed under the opposite arm, so as to leave 
it bare, and falling in graceful folds before and behind, to 
the knee, so as to bear some resemblance to a Roman 
toga. 

The female dress consisted of the pau, a garment 
formed of a piece of tappa, several yards in length and 
one in width, wrapped round the waist, and reaching like 
a petticoat, to the knees. Over this a kihei, or mantle, 
larger than that of the men, sometimes worm over both 
shoulders, like a shawl, sometimes over one only. These 
mantles were seldom worn by either sex during the heat 
of the day, when the exposure of their persons was at 
first very revolting to a civilized eye. 

Towards evening several of the partners and clerks 
went on shore, where they were well received and hos- 


104 


ASTORIA . 


pitably entertained. A dance was performed for their 
amusement, in which nineteen young women and one 
man figured very gracefully, singing in concert, and mov¬ 
ing to the cadence of their song. 

All this, however, was nothing to the purpose in the 
eyes of Captain Thorn, who, being disappointed in his 
hope of obtaining a supply of pork, or finding good 
water, was anxious to be off. This it was not so easy to 
effect. The passengers, once on shore, were disposed, as 
usual, to profit by the occasion. The partners had many 
inquiries to make relative to the island, with a view to 
business ; while the young clerks were delighted with 
the charms and graces of the dancing damsels. 

To add to their gratifications, an old man offered to 
conduct them to the spot where Captain Cook was mas¬ 
sacred. The proposition was eagerly accepted, and all 
hands set out on a pilgrimage to the place. The veteran 
islander performed his promise faithfully, and pointed 
out the very spot where the unfortunate discoverer fell. 
The rocks and cocoa-trees around bore record of the 
fact, in the marks of the balls fired from the boats upon 
the savages. The pilgrims gathered round the old man, 
and drew from him all the particulars he had to relate 
respecting this memorable event; while the honest cap¬ 
tain stood by and bit his nails with impatience. To add 
to his vexation, they employed themselves in knocking 
off pieces of the rocks, and cutting off the bark of the 
trees marked by the balls, which they conveyed back to 
the ship as precious relics. 


GOVERNOR YOUNG. 


105 


Eight glad, therefore, was he to get them a^id their 
treasures fairly on board, when he made sail from this 
unprofitable place, and steered for the Bay of Tocaigh, 
the residence of the chief or governor of the island, 
where he hoped to be more successful in obtaining sup¬ 
plies. On coming to anchor the captain went on shore, 
accompanied by Mr. M’Dougal and Mr. M’Kay, and paid 
a visit to the governor. This dignitary proved to be an 
old sailor, by the name of John Young ; who, after being 
tossed about the seas like another Sindbad, had, by one 
of the whimsical freaks of fortune, been elevated to the 
government of a savage island. He received his visitors 
with more hearty familiarity than personages in his high 
station are apt to indulge, but soon gave them to under¬ 
stand that provisions were scanty at Tocaigh, and that 
there was no good water, no rain having fallen in the 
neighborhood in three years. 

The captain was immediately for breaking up the con¬ 
ference and departing, but the partners were not so will¬ 
ing to part with the nautical governor, who seemed dis¬ 
posed to be extremely communicative, and from whom 
they might be able to procure some useful information. 
A long conversation accordingly ensued, in the course of 
which they made many inquiries about the affairs of the 
islands, their natural productions, and the possibility of 
turning them to advantage in the way of trade ; nor did 
they fail to inquire into the individual history of John 
Young, and how he came to be governor. This he gave 


106 


ASTORIA. 


with great condescension, running through the whole 
course of his fortunes “ even from his boyish days.*’ 

He was a native of Liverpool, in England, and had 
followed the sea from boyhood, until, by dint of good 
conduct, he had risen so far in his profession as to be 
boatswain of an American ship called the Eleanor, com¬ 
manded by Captain Metcalf. In this vessel he had sailed 
in 1789, on one of those casual expeditions to the north¬ 
west coast, in quest of furs. In the course of the voyage, 
the captain left a small schooner, named the Fair Amer¬ 
ican, at Nootka, with a crew of five men, commanded by 
his son, a youth of eighteen. She was to follow on in 
the track of the Eleanor. 

In February, 1790, Captain Metcalf touched at the 
island of Mowee, one of the Sandwich group. While 
anchored here, a boat which was astern of the Eleanor 
was stolen, and a seaman who was in it was killed. The 
natives, generally, disclaimed the outrage, and brought 
the shattered remains of the boat and the dead body of 
the seaman to the ship. Supposing that they had thus 
appeased the anger of the captain, they thronged, as 
usual, in great numbers about the vessel, to trade. Cap¬ 
tain Metcalf, however, determined on a bloody revenge. 
The Eleanor mounted ten guns. All these he ordered to 
be loaded with musket-balls, nails, and pieces of old 
iron, and then fired them, and the small arms of the ship, 
among the natives. The havoc was dreadful; more than 
a hundred, according to Young’s account, were slain. 


STORY OF THE GOVERNOR. 


107 


After this signal act of vengeance, Captain Metcalf 
sailed from Mowee, and made for the island of Owyhee, 
where he was well received by Tamaahmaah. The for¬ 
tunes of this warlike chief were at that time on the rise* 
He had originally been of inferior rank, ruling over only 
one or two districts of Owyhee, but had gradually made 
himself sovereign of his native island. 

The Eleanor remained some few days at anchor here, 
and an apparently friendly intercourse was kept up with 
the inhabitants. On the 17th March, John Young ob¬ 
tained permission to pass the night on shore. On the 
following morning a signal-gun summoned him to return 
on board. 

He went to the shore to embark, but found all the 
canoes hauled up on the beach and rigorously tabooed, 
or interdicted. He would have launched one himself, 
but was informed by Tamaahmaah that if he presumed 
to do so he would be put to death. 

Young was obliged to submit, and remained all day in 
great perplexity to account for this mysterious taboo, 
and fearful that some hostility was intended. In the 
evening he learned the cause of it, and his uneasiness 
was increased. It appeared that the vindictive act of 
Captain Metcalf had recoiled upon his own head. The 
schooner Fair American, commanded by his son, follow¬ 
ing in his track, had fallen into the hands of the natives 
to the southward of Tocaigh Bay, and young Metcalf 
and four of the crew had been massacred. 


108 


ASTORIA. 


On receiving intelligence of this event, Tamaahmaah 
had immediately tabooed all the canoes, and interdicted 
all intercourse with the ship, lest the captain should 
learn the fate of the schooner, and take his revenge upon 
the island. For the same reason he prevented Young from 
rejoining his countrymen. The Eleanor continued to fire 
signals from time to time for two days, and then sailed ; 
concluding, no doubt, that the boatswain had deserted. 

John Young was in despair when he saw the ship 
make sail, and found himself abandoned among savages ; 
—and savages, too, sanguinary in their character, and 
inflamed by acts of hostility. He was agreeably disap¬ 
pointed, however, in experiencing nothing but kind treat¬ 
ment from Tamaahmaah and his people. It is true, he 
was narrowly watched whenever a vessel came in sight, 
lest he should escape and relate what had passed; but 
at other times he was treated with entire confidence and 
great distinction. He became a prime favorite, cabinet 
counsellor, and active coadjutor of Tamaahmaah, attend¬ 
ing him in all his excursions, whether of business or 
pleasure, and aiding in his warlike and ambitious enter¬ 
prises. By degrees he rose to the rank of a chief, 
espoused one of the beauties of the island, and became 
habituated and reconciled to his new way of life ; think¬ 
ing it better, perhaps, to rule among savages than serve 
among white men ; to be a feathered chief than a tar¬ 
paulin boatswain. His favor with Tamaahmaah never 
declined; and when that sagacious, intrepid, and aspir- 


ARRIVAL AT WAITITI. 


109 


ing chieftain had made himself sovereign over the whole 
group of islands, and removed his residence to Woahoo, 
he left his faithful adherent John Young in command of 
Owyhee. 

Such is an outline of the history of Governor Young, 
as furnished by himself; and we regret that we are not 
able to give any account of the state maintained by this 
seafaring worthy, and the manner in which he discharged 
his high functions ; though it is evident he had more of 
the hearty familiarity of the forecastle than the dignity 
of the gubernatorial office. 

These long conferences were bitter trials to the pa¬ 
tience of the captain, who had no respect either for the 
governor or his island, and was anxious to push on in 
quest of provisions and water. As soon as he could get 
his inquisitive partners once more on board, he weighed 
anchor, and made sail for the island of Woahoo, the 
royal residence of Tamaahmaah. 

This is the most beautiful island of the Sandwich 
group. It is forty-six miles in length and twenty-three in 
breadth. A ridge of volcanic mountains extends through 
the centre, rising into lofty peaks, and skirted by undu¬ 
lating hills and rich plains, where the cabins of the 
natives peep out from beneath groves of cocoanut and 
other luxuriant trees. 

On the 21st of February the Tonquin cast anchor in 
the beautiful bay before the village of Waititi, (pro¬ 
nounced Whyteetee,) the abode of Tamaahmaah. This 


110 


ASTORIA. 


village contained about two hundred habitations, com* 
posed of poles set in the ground, tied together at the 
ends, and thatched with grass, and was situated in an 
open grove of cocoanuts. The royal palace of Tamaah- 
maah was a large house of two stories ; the lower of 
stone, the upper of wood. Round this his body-guard 
kept watch, composed of twenty-four men in long blue 
cassocks turned up with yellow, and each armed with a 
musket. 

While at anchor at this place, much ceremonious visit¬ 
ing and long conferences took place between the poten¬ 
tate of the islands and the partners of the company. 
Tamaahmaah came on board of the ship in royal style, in 
his double pirogue. He was between fifty and sixty 
years of age, above the middle size, large and well made, 
though somewhat corpulent. He was dressed in an old 
suit of regimentals, with a sword by his side, and seemed 
somewhat embarrassed by his magnificent attire. Three 
of his wives accompanied him. They were almost as 
tall, and quite as corpulent as himself; but by no means 
to be compared with him in grandeur of habiliments, 
wearing no other garb than the pau. With him, also, 
came his great favorite and confidential counsellor, Krai- 
maker ; who, from holding a post equivalent to that of 
prime minister, had been familiarly named Billy Pitt by 
the British visitors to the islands. 

The sovereign was received with befitting ceremonial. 
The American flag was displayed, four guns were fired. 


A ROYAL VISIT. 


Ill 


and the partners appeared in scarlet coats, and con¬ 
ducted their illustrious guests to the cabin, where they 
were regaled with wine. In this ‘ interview the partners 
endeavored to impress the monarch with a sense of their 
importance, and of the importance of the association to 
which they belonged. They let him know that they were 
eris, or chiefs, of a great company about to be estab¬ 
lished on the northwest coast, and talked of the proba¬ 
bility of opening a trade with his islands, and of sending 
ships there occasionally. All this was gratifying and 
interesting to him, for he was aware of the advantages of 
trade, and desirous of promoting frequent intercourse 
with white men. He encouraged Europeans and Ameri¬ 
cans to settle in his islands and intermarry with his sub¬ 
jects. There were between twenty and thirty white men 
at that time resident in the island, but many of them 
were mere vagabonds, who remained there in hopes of 
leading a lazy and an easy life. For such Tamaahmaah 
had a great contempt; those only had his esteem and 
countenance who knew some trade or mechanic art, and 
were sober and industrious. 

On the day subsequent to the monarch’s visit, the 
partners landed and waited upon him in return. Know¬ 
ing the effect of show and dress upon men in savage life, 
and wishing to make a favorable impression as the eris, 
or chiefs, of the great American Fur Company, some of 
them appeared in Highland plaids and kilts, to the great 
admiration of the natives. 


112 


ASTORIA. 


While visits of ceremony and grand diplomatic confer¬ 
ences were going on between the partners and the king, 
the captain, in his plain; matter-of-fact way, was pushing 
what he considered a far more important negotiation ; 
the purchase of a supply of hogs. He found that the 
king had profited in more ways than one by his inter¬ 
course with white men. Above all other arts he had 
learned the art of driving a bargain. He was a magnani¬ 
mous monarch, but a shrewd pork merchant; and per¬ 
haps thought he could not do better with his future al¬ 
lies, the American Fur Company, than to begin by close 
dealing. Several interviews were requisite, and much 
bargaining, before he could be brought to part with a 
bristle of his bacon, and then he insisted upon being paid 
in hard Spanish dollars; giving as a reason that he 
wanted money to purchase a frigate from his brother 
George, as he affectionately termed the king of England.* 

* It appears, from the accounts of subsequent voyagers, that Tamaah- 
maah afterwards succeeded in his wish of purchasing a large ship. In this 
he sent a cargo of sandal-wood to Canton, having discovered that the for¬ 
eign merchants trading with him made large profits on this wood, shipped 
by them from the islands to the Chinese markets. The ship was manned 
by natives, but the officers were Englishmen. She accomplished her voy¬ 
age, and returned in safety to the islands, with the Hawaiian flag floating 
gloriously in the breeze. The king hastened on board, expecting to find 
his sandal-wood converted into crapes and damasks, and other rich stuffs 
of China, but found, to his astonishment, by the legerdemain of traffic, 
his cargo had all disappeared, and, in place of it, remained a bill of 
charges amounting to three thousand dollars. It was some time before he 
could be made to comprehend certain of the most important items of the 
bill, such as pilotage, anchorage, and custom-house fees ; but when he 
discovered that maritime states in other countries derived large revenue* 


GETTING READY TO SAIL. 


113 


At length the royal bargain was concluded ; the neces¬ 
sary supply of hogs obtained, beside several goats, two 
sheep, a quantity of poultry, and vegetables in abun¬ 
dance. The partners now urged to recruit their forces 
from the natives of this island. They declared they had 
never seen watermen equal to them, even among the voy- 
ageurs of the Northwest; and, indeed, they are remarka¬ 
ble for their skill in managing their light craft, and can 
swim and dive like waterfowl. The partners were in¬ 
clined, therefore, to take thirty or forty with them to the 
Columbia, to be employed in the service of the company. 
The captain, however, objected that there was not room 
in his vessel for the accommodation of such a number. 
Twelve, only, were therefore enlisted for the company, 
and as many more for the service of the ship. The 
former engaged to serve for the term of three years, dur¬ 
ing which they were to be fed and clothed ; and at the 
expiration of the time were to receive one hundred dol¬ 
lars in merchandise. 

And now, having embarked his live-stock, fruits, vege¬ 
tables, and water, the captain made ready to set sail. 
How much the honest man had suffered in spirit by what 
he considered the freaks and vagaries of his passengers, 
and how little he had understood their humors and in- 

in this manner, to the great cost of the merchant, “ Well,” cried he, “then 
I will have harbor fees also.” He established them accordingly. Pilot¬ 
age a dollar a foot on the draft of each vessel. Anchorage from sixty to 
seventy dollars. In this way he greatly increased the royal revenue, and 
turned his China speculation to account. 

8 


114 


A8T0RIA . 


tentions, is amusingly shown in a letter written to Mr. 
Astor from Woalioo, which contains his comments on the 
scenes we have described. 

“It would be difficult,” he writes, “to imagine the 
frantic gambols that are daily played off here ; some¬ 
times dressing in red coats, and otherwise very fantas= 
tically, and collecting a number of ignorant natives 
around them, telling them that they are the great eares 
of the Northwest, and making arrangements for sending 
three or four vessels yearly to them from the coast with 
spars, Ac.; while those very natives cannot even furnish a 
hog to the ship. Then dressing in Highland plaids and 
kilts, and making similar arrangements, with presents of 
rum, wine, or anything that is at hand. Then taking a 
number of clerks and men on shore to the very spot on 
which Captain Cook was killed, and each fetching off a 
piece of the rock or tree that was touched by the shot. 
Then sitting down with some white man or some native 
who can be a little understood, and collecting the history 
of those islands, of Tamaahmaah’s wars, the curiosities 
of the islands, Ac., preparatory to the histories of their 
voyages ; and the collection is indeed ridiculously con¬ 
temptible. To enumerate the thousand instances of ig¬ 
norance, filth, Ac., or to particularize all the frantic gam¬ 
bols that are daily practiced, would require volumes.” 

Before embarking, the great eris of the American Fur 
Company took leave of their illustrious ally in due style, 
with many professions of lasting friendship and promises 


OPINIONS OF A MATTER-OF-FACT CAPTAIN. 115 


of future intercourse ; while the matter-of-fact captain 
anathematized him in his heart for a grasping, trafficking 
savage ; as shrewd and sordid in his dealings as a white 
man. As one of the vessels of the company will, in the 
course of events, have to appeal to the justice and mag¬ 
nanimity of this island potentate, we shall see how fai 
the honest captain was right in his opinion. 


CHAPTER YTL 


DEPARTURE PROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.—MISUNDERSTANDINGS.—MISERIEI 
OF A SUSPICIOUS MAN.—ARRIVAL AT THE COLUMBIA.—DANGEROUS SERVICE. 
—GLOOMY APPREHENSIONS.—BARS AND BREAKERS.—PERILS OF THE SHIP. 
—DISASTERS OF A BOAT’S CREW.—BURIAL OF A SANDWICH ISLANDER. 



T was on the 28th of February that the Tonquin 
set sail from the Sandwich Islands. For two 
days the wind was contrary, and the vessel was 
detained in their neighborhood ; at length a favorable 
breeze sprang up, and in a little while the rich groves, 
green hills, and snowy peaks of those happy islands one 
after another sank from sight, or melted into the blue 
distance, and the Tonquin ploughed her course towards 
the sterner regions of the Pacific. 

The misunderstandings between the captain and his 
passengers still continued ; or rather, increased in grav¬ 
ity. By his altercations and his moody humors, he 
had cut himself off from all community of thought, or 
freedom of conversation with them. He disdained 
to ask any questions as to their proceedings, and 
could only guess at the meaning of their movements, 
and in so doing indulged in conjectures and sus- 

116 







SUSPICIONS OF THE CAPTAIN. 


117 

picions, which produced the most whimsical self-tor¬ 
ment. 

Thus, in one of his disputes with them, relative to the 
goods on board, some of the packages of which they 
wished to open, to take out articles of clothing for the 
men or presents for the natives, he was so harsh and per¬ 
emptory that they lost all patience, and hinted that they 
were the strongest party, and might reduce him to a very 
ridiculous dilemma, by taking from him the command. 

A thought now flashed across the captain’s mind that 
they really had a design to depose him, and that, having 
picked up some information at Owyhee, possibly of war 
between the United States and England, they meant to 
alter the destination of the voyage ; perhaps to seize 
upon ship and cargo for their own use. 

Once having conceived this suspicion, everything went 
to foster it. They had distributed fire-arms among some 
of their men, a common precaution among the fur traders 
when mingling with the natives. This, however, looked 
like preparation. Then several of the partners and clerks 
and some of the men, being Scotsmen, were acquainted 
with the Gaelic, and held long conversations together in 
that language. These conversations were considered by 
the captain of a “ mysterious and unwarrantable nature,” 
and related, no doubt, to some foul conspiracy that was 
brewing among them. He frankly avows such suspicions, 
in his letter to Mr. Astor, but intimates that he stood 
ready to resist any treasonous outbreak; and seems to 


118 


ASTORIA . 


think that the evidence of preparation on his part had an 
effect in overawing the conspirators. 

The fact is, as we have since been informed by one of 
the parties, it was a mischievous pleasure with some of 
the partners and clerks, who were young men, to play 
upon the suspicious temper and splenetic humors of the 
captain. To this we may ascribe many of their whim¬ 
sical pranks and absurd propositions, and, above all, 
their mysterious colloquies in Gaelic. 

In this sore and irritable mood did the captain pursue 
his course, keeping a wary eye on every movement, and 
bristling up whenever the detested sound of the Gaelic 
language grated upon his ear. Nothing occurred, how¬ 
ever, materially to disturb the residue of the voyage 
excepting a violent storm ; and on the twenty-second of 
March, the Tonquin arrived at the mouth of the Oregon, 
or Columbia River. 

The aspect of the river and the adjacent coast was wild 
and dangerous. The mouth of the Columbia is upwards 
of four miles wide with a peninsula and promontory on 
one side, and a long low spit of land on the other; be¬ 
tween which a sand bar and chain of breakers almost 
block up the entrance. The interior of the country rises 
into successive ranges of mountains, which, at the time 
of the arrival of the Tonquin, were covered with snow. 

A fresh wind from the northwest sent a rough tumbling 
sea upon the coast, which broke upon the bar in furious 
surges, and extended a sheet of foam almost across the 


BARS AND BREAKERS,, 


119 


mouth of the river. Under these circumstances the cap¬ 
tain did not think it prudent to approach within three 
leagues, until the bar should be sounded and the channel 
ascertained. Mr. Fox, the chief mate, was ordered to this 
service in the whaleboat, accompanied by John Martin, 
an old seaman, who had formerly visited the river, and 
by three Canadians. Fox requested to have regular sail¬ 
ors to man the boat, but the captain would not spare 
them from the service of the ship, and supposed the 
Canadians, being expert boatmen on lakes and rivers, 
were competent to the service, especially when directed 
and aided by Fox and Martin. Fox seems to have lost 
all firmness of spirit on the occasion, and to have re¬ 
garded the service with a misgiving heart. He came to 
the partners for sympathy, knowing their differences 
with the captain, and the tears were in his eyes as he 
represented his case. “I am sent off,” said he, “ without 
seamen to man my boat, in boisterous weather, and on 
the most dangerous part of the northwest coast. My 
uncle was lost a few years ago on this same bar, and I 
am now going to lay my bones alongside of his.” The 
partners sympathized in his apprehensions, and remon¬ 
strated with the captain. The latter, however, was not 
to be moved. He had been displeased with Mr. Fox in 
the earlier part of the voyage, considering him indolent 
and inactive ; and probably thought his present repug¬ 
nance arose from a want of true nautical spirit. The 
interference of the partners in the business of the ship, 


120 


ASTORIA. 


also, was not calculated to have a favorable effect on a 
stickler for authority like himself, especially in his 
actual state of feeling towards them. 

At one o’clock, p.m., therefore, Fox and his comrades 
set off in the whaleboat, which is represented as small in 
size, and crazy in condition. All eyes were strained after 
the little bark as it pulled for shore, rising and sinking 
with the huge rolling waves, until it entered, a mere 
speck, among the foaming breakers, and was soon lost to 
view. Evening set in, night succeeded and passed away, 
and morning returned, but without the return of the 
boat. 

As the wind had moderated, the ship stood near to the 
land, so as to command a view of the river’s mouth. 
Nothing was to be seen but a wild chaos of tumbling 
waves breaking upon the bar, and apparently forming a 
foaming barrier from shore to shore. Towards night the 
ship again stood out io gain sea-room, and a gloom was 
visible in every countenance. The captain himself 
shared in the general anxiety, and probably repented of 
his peremptory orders. Another weary and watchful 
night succeeded, during which the wind subsided, and 
the weather became serene. 

On the following day, the ship having drifted near the 
land, anchored in fourteen fathoms water, to the north¬ 
ward of the long peninsula or promontory which forms 
the north side of the entrance, and is called Cape Disap¬ 
pointment. The pinnace was then manned, and two of 


PERILOUS SERVICE. 


121 


the partners, Mr. David Stuart and Mr. M’Kay, set off in 
the hope of learning something of the fate of the whale¬ 
boat. The surf, however, broke with such violence along 
the shore that they could find no landing place. Several 
of the natives appeared on the beach and made signs to 
them to row round the cape, but they thought it most 
prudent to return to the ship. 

The wind now springing up, the Tonquin got under 
way, and stood in to seek the channel; but was again 
deterred by the frightful aspect of the breakers, from 
venturing within a league. Here she hove to ; and Mr. 
Mumford, the second mate, was despatched with four 
hands, in the pinnace, to sound across the channel until 
he should find four fathoms depth. The pinnace entered 
among the breakers, but was near being lost, and with 
difficulty got back to the ship. The captain insisted that 
Mr. Mumford had steered too much to the southward. 
He now turned to Mr. Aiken, an able mariner, destined 
to command the schooner intended for the coasting 
trade, and ordered him, together with John Coles, sail- 
maker, Stephen Weekes, armorer, and two Sandwich 
Islanders, to proceed ahead and take soundings, while 
the ship should follow under easy sail. In this way they 
proceeded until Aiken had ascertained the channel, when 
signal was given from the ship for him to return on 
board. He was then within pistol shot, but so furious 
was the current, and tumultuous the breakers, that the 
boat became unmanageable, and was hurried away, the 


122 


ASTORIA. 


crew crying out piteously for assistance. In a few mo¬ 
ments she could not be seen from the ship’s deck. Some 
of the passengers climbed to the mizzen top, and beheld 
her still struggling to reach the ship ; but shortly after 
she broached broadside to the waves, and her case 
seemed desperate. The attention of those on board of 
the ship was now called to their own safety. They were 
in shallow water; the vessel struck repeatedly, the waves 
broke over her, and there was danger of her foundering. 
At length she got into seven fathoms water, and the wind 
lulling, and the night coming on, cast anchor. With the 
darkness their anxieties increased. The wind whistled, 
the sea roared, the gloom was only broken by the ghastly 
glare of the foaming breakers, the minds of the seamen 
were full of dreary apprehensions, and some of them 
fancied they heard the cries of their lost comrades min¬ 
gling with the uproar of the elements. For a time, too, 
the rapidly ebbing tide threatened to sweep them from 
their precarious anchorage. At length the reflux of the 
tide, and the springing up of the wind, enabled them to 
quit their dangerous situation and take shelter in a 
small bay within Cape Disappointment, where they rode 
in safety during the residue of a stormy night, and en¬ 
joyed a brief interval of refreshing sleep. 

With the light of day returned their cares and anx¬ 
ieties. They looked out from the mast-head over a wild 
coast, and wilder sea, but could discover no trace of the 
two boats and their crews that were missing. Several of 


WEEKES TEE ARMORER. 


123 


the natives came on board with peltries, but there was no 
disposition to trade. They were interrogated by signs 
after the lost boats, but could not understand the in¬ 
quiries. 

Parties now went on shore and scoured the neighbor¬ 
hood. One of these was headed by the captain. They 
had not proceeded far when they beheld a person at a 
distance in civilized garb. As he drew near he proved to 
be Weekes, the armorer. There was a burst of joy, for it 
was hoped his comrades were near at hand. His story, 
however, was one of disaster. He and his companions 
had found it impossible to govern their boat, having no 
rudder, and being beset by rapid and whirling currents 
and boisterous surges. After long struggling they had 
let her go at the mercy of the waves, tossing about, some¬ 
times with her bow, sometimes with her broadside to the 
surges, threatened each instant with destruction, yet 
repeatedly escaping, until a huge sea broke over and 
swamped her. Weekes was overwhelmed by the boiling 
waves, but emerging above the surface, looked round for 
his companions. Aiken and Coles were not to be seen; 
near him were the two Sandwich Islanders, stripping 
themselves of their clothing that they might swim more 
freely. He did the same, and the boat floating near to 
him he seized hold of it. The two islanders joined him, 
and, uniting their forces, they succeeded in turning the 
boat upon her keel; then bearing down her stern and 
rocking her, they forced out so much water that she was 


124 


ASTORIA. 


able to bear the weight of a man without sinking. One 
of the islanders now got in, and in a little while bailed 
out the water with his hands. The other swam about 
and collected the oars, and they all three got once more 
on board. 

By this time the tide had swept them beyond the 
breakers, and Weekes called on his companions to row 
for land. They were so chilled and benumbed by the 
cold, however, that they lost all heart, and absolutely 
refused. Weekes was equally chilled, but had superior 
sagacity and self-command. He counteracted the ten¬ 
dency to drowsiness and stupor which cold produces by 
keeping himself in constant exercise; and seeing that the 
vessel was advancing, and that everything depended upon 
himself, he set to work to scull the boat clear of the bar, 
and into quiet water. 

Towards midnight one of the poor islanders expired : 
his companion threw himself on his corpse and could not 
be persuaded to leave him. The dismal night wore away 
amidst these horrors : as the day dawned, Weekes found 
himself near the land. He steered directly for it, and at 
length, with the aid of the surf, ran his boat high upon a 
sandy beach. 

Finding that one of the Sandwich Islanders yet gave 
signs of life, he aided him to leave the boat, and set 
out with him towards the adjacent woods. The poor 
fellow, however, was too feeble to follow him, and 
Weekes was soon obliged to abandon him to his fate 


SANDWICH ISLANDER'S BURIAL. 


125 


and provide for his own safety. Falling upon a beaten 
path, he pursued it, and after a few hours came to a 
part of the coast, where, to his surprise and joy, he 
beheld the ship at anchor and was met by the captain 
and his party. 

After Weekes had related his adventures, three parties 
were despatched to beat up the coast in search of the 
unfortunate islander. They returned at night without 
success, though they had used the utmost diligence. On 
the following day the search was resumed, and the poor 
fellow was at length discovered lying beneath a group of 
rocks, his legs swollen, his feet torn and bloody from 
walking through bushes and briers, and himself half¬ 
dead with cold, hunger, and fatigue. Weekes and this 
islander were the only survivors of the crew of the 
jolly-boat, and no trace was ever discovered of Fox and 
his party. Thus eight men were lost on the first ap¬ 
proach to the coast; a commencement that cast a gloom 
over the spirits of the whole party, and was regarded by 
some of the superstitious as an omen that boded no 
good to the enterprise. 

Towards night the Sandwich Islanders went on shore, 
to bury the body of their unfortunate countryman who 
had perished in the boat. On arriving at the place where 
it had been left, they dug a grave in the sand, in which 
they deposited the corpse, with a biscuit under one of 
the arms, some lard under the chin, and a small quantity 
of tobacco, as provisions for its journey in the land of 


126 


ASTORIA. 


spirits. Having covered the body with sand and flints, 
they kneeled along the grave in a double row, with their 
faces turned to the east, while one who officiated as a 
priest sprinkled them with water from a hat. In so do¬ 
ing he recited a kind of prayer or invocation, to which, at 
intervals, the others made responses. Such were the 
simple rites performed by these poor savages at the 
grave of their comrade on the shores of a strange land; 
and when these were done, they rose and returned in 
silence to the ship, without once casting a look behind. 


CHAPTER YHL 

MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA.—THE NATIVE TRIBES.—THEIR FISHING.— THEIR 
CANOES.—BOLD NAVIGATORS.—EQUESTRIAN INDIANS AND PISCATORY INDIANS, 
DIFFERENCE IN THEIR PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION.—SEARCH FOR A TRADING 
SITE.—EXPEDITION OF M’DOUGAL AND DAVID STUART.—COMCOMLY, THE 
ONE-EYED CHIEFTAIN.—INFLUENCE OF WEALTH IN SAVAGE LIFE.—SLAV¬ 
ERY AMONG THE NATIVES.—AN ARISTOCRACY OF FLATHEADS.—HOSPITALITY 
AMONG THE CHINOOKS.—COMCOMLY’S DAUGHTER.—HER CONQUEST. 



|HE Columbia, or Oregon, for the distance of 
thirty or forty miles from its entrance into the 
sea, is, properly speaking, a mere estuary, in¬ 
dented by deep bays so as to vary from three to seven 
miles in width ; and is rendered extremely intricate and 
dangerous by shoals reaching nearly from shore to shore, 
on which, at times, the winds and currents produce foam¬ 
ing and tumultuous breakers. The mouth of the river 


proper is but about half a mile wide, formed by the con¬ 
tracting shores of the estuary. The entrance from the sea, 
as we have already observed, is bounded on the south 
side by a flat sandy spit of land, stretching into the ocean. 
This is commonly called Point Adams. The opposite, or 
northern side, is Cape Disappointment; a kind of penin¬ 
sula, terminating in a steep knoll or promontory crowned 

127 








128 


ASTORIA. 


with a forest of pine-trees, and connected with the main* 
land by a low and narrow neck. Immediately within this 
cape is a wide, open bay, terminating at Chinook Point, 
so called from a neighboring tribe of Indians. This was 
called Baker’s Bay, and here the Tonquin was anchored. 

The natives inhabiting the lower part of the river, and 
with whom the company was likely to have the most fre¬ 
quent intercourse, were divided at this time into four 
tribes, the Chinooks, Clatsops, Wahkiacums, and Cath- 
lamahs. They resembled each other in person, dress, 
language, and manner; and were probably from the same 
stock, but broken into tribes, or rather hordes, by those 
feuds and schisms frequent among Indians. 

These people generally live by fishing. It is true they 
occasionally hunt the elk and deer, and ensnare the 
water-fowl of their ponds and rivers, but these are casual 
luxuries. Their chief subsistence is derived from the 
salmon and other fish which abound in the Columbia and 
its tributary streams, aided by roots and herbs, especially 
the wappatoo, which is found on the islands of the river. 

As the Indians of the plains who depend upon the 
chase are bold and expert riders, and pride themselves 
upon their horses, so these piscatory tribes of the coast 
excel in the management of canoes, and are never more 
at home than when riding upon the waves. Their canoes 
vary in form and size. Some are upwards of fifty feet 
long, cut out of a single tree, either fir or white cedar, 
and capable of carrying thirty persons. They have 


HUNTING AND FISHING INDIANS. 


129 


thwart pieces from side to side about three inches thick, 
and their gunwales flare outwards, so as to cast off the 
surges of the waves. The bow and stern are decorated 
with grotesque figures of men and animals, sometimes 
five feet in height. 

In managing their canoes they kneel two and two along 
the bottom, sitting on their heels, and wielding paddles 
from four to five feet long, while one sits on the stem 
and steers with a paddle of the same kind. The women 
are equally expert with the men in managing the canoe, 
and generally take the helm. 

It is surprising to see with what fearless unconcern 
these savages venture in their light barks upon the 
roughest and most tempestuous seas. They seem to ride 
upon the waves like sea-fowl. Should a surge throw 
the canoe upon its side and endanger its overturn, those 
to windward lean over the upper gunwale, thrust their 
paddles deep into the wave, apparently catch the water 
and force it under the canoe, and by this action not 
merely regain an equilibrium, but give their bark a vig¬ 
orous impulse forward. 

The effect of different modes of life upon the human 
frame and human character is strikingly instanced in the 
contrast between the hunting Indians of the prairies, and 
the piscatory Indians of the sea-coast. The former, con¬ 
tinually on horseback scouring the plains, gaining their 
food by hardy exercise, and subsisting chiefly on flesh, 
are generally tall, sinewy, meagre, but well formed, and of 


130 


ASTORIA. 


bold and fierce deportment: the latter, lounging about the 
river banks, or squatting and curved up in their canoes, 
are generally low in stature, ill-shaped, with crooked legs, 
thick ankles, and broad flat feet. They are inferior also 
in muscular power and activity, and in game qualities and 
appearance, to their hard-riding brethren of the prairies. 

Having premised these few particulars concerning the 
neighboring Indians, we will return to the immediate 
concerns of the Tonquin and her crew. 

Further search was made for Mr. Fox and his party, 
but with no better success, and they were at length given 
up as lost. In the meantime, the captain and some of 
the partners explored the river for some distance in a 
large boat, to select a suitable place for the trading post. 
Their old jealousies and differences continued; they 
never could coincide in their choice, and the captain ob¬ 
jected altogether to any site so high up the river. They 
all returned, therefore, to Baker’s Bay in no very good 
humor. The partners proposed to examine the opposite 
shore, but the captain was impatient of any further 
delay. His eagerness to “get on” had increased upon 
him. He thought all these excursions a sheer loss of 
time, and was resolved to land at once, build a shelter 
for the reception of that part of his cargo destined for 
the use of the settlement, and, having cleared his ship of 
it and of his irksome shipmates, to depart upon the 
prosecution of his coasting voyage, according to orders. 

On the following day, therefore, without troubling 


SELECTING A SITE. 


131 


himself to consult the partners, he landed in Baker’s 
Bay, and proceeded to erect a shed for the reception of 
the rigging, equipments, and stores of the schooner that 
was to be built for the use of the settlement. 

This dogged determination on the part of the sturdy 
captain gave high offense to Mr. M’Dougal, who now 
considered himself at the head of the concern, as Mr. 
Astor’s representative and proxy. He set off the same 
day, (April 5th,) accompanied by Mr. David Stuart, for 
the southern shore, intending to be back by the seventh. 
Not having the captain to contend with, they soon 
pitched upon a spot which appeared to them favorable 
for the intended establishment. It was on a point of 
land called Point George, having a very good harbor, 
where vessels, not exceeding two hundred tons burden, 
might anchor within fifty yards of the shore. 

After a day thus profitably spent, they recrossed the 
river, but landed on the northern shore several miles 
above the anchoring ground of the Tonquin, in the neigh¬ 
borhood of Chinook, and visited the village of that tribe. 
Here they were received with great hospitality by the 
chief, who was named Comcomly, a shrewd old savage, 
with but one eye, who will occasionally figure in this 
narrative. Each village forms a petty sovereignty, gov¬ 
erned by its own chief, who, however, possesses but little 
authority, unless he be a man of wealth and substance; 
that is to say, possessed of canoes, slaves, and wives. 
The greater the number of these, the greater is the chief. 


132 


ASTORIA. 


How many wives this one-eyed potentate maintained we 
are not told, but he certainly possessed great sway, not 
merely over his own tribe, but over the neighborhood. 

Having mentioned slaves, we would observe that slav¬ 
ery exists among several of the tribes beyond the Rocky 
Mountains. The slaves are well treated while in good 
health, but occupied in all kinds of drudgery. Should 
they become useless, however, by sickness or old age, 
they are totally neglected, and left to perish ; nor is any 
respect paid to their bodies after death. 

A singular custom prevails, not merely among the 
Chinooks, but among most of the tribes about this part 
of the coast, which is the flattening of the forehead. The 
process by which this deformity is effected commences 
immediately after birth. The infant is laid in a wooden 
trough, by way of cradle. The end on which the head 
reposes is higher than the rest. A padding is placed 
on the forehead of the infant, with a piece of bark 
above it, and is pressed down by cords, which pass 
through holes on each side of the trough. As the tight¬ 
ening of the padding and the pressing of the head to the 
board is gradual, the process is said not to be attended 
with much pain. The appearance of the infant, however, 
while in this state of compression, is whimsically hide¬ 
ous, and “its little black eyes,” we are told, “being 
forced out by the tightness of the bandages, resemble 
those of a mouse choked in a trap.” 

About a year’s pressure is sufficient to produce the 


INDIAN HOSPITALITY . 


133 


desired effect, at the end of which time the child emerges 
from its bandages a complete flathead, and continues so 
through life. It must be noted, however, that this flat¬ 
tening of the head has something in it of aristocratical sig¬ 
nificance - , like the crippling of the feet among the Chinese 
ladies of quality. At any rate, it is a sign of freedom. 
No slave is permitted to bestow this enviable deformity 
upon his child ; all the slaves, therefore, are roundheads. 

With this worthy tribe of Chinooks the two partners 
passed a part of the day very agreeably. M’Dougal, who 
was somewhat vain of his official rank, had given it to be 
understood that they were two chiefs of a great trading 
company, about to be established here, and the quick- 
sighted, though one-eyed chief, who was somewhat prac¬ 
ticed in traffic with white men, immediately perceived 
the policy of cultivating the friendship of two such im¬ 
portant visitors. He regaled them, therefore, to the best 
of his ability, with abundance of salmon and wappatoo. 
The next morning, April 7th, they prepared to return to 
the vessel, according to promise. They had eleven miles 
of open bay to traverse ; the wind was fresh, the waves 
ran high. Comcomly remonstrated with them on the 
hazard to which they would be exposed. They were res¬ 
olute, however, and launched their boat, while the wary 
chieftain followed at some short distance in his canoe. 
Scarce had they rowed a mile, when a wave broke over 
their boat and upset it. They were in imminent peril of 
drowning, especially Mr. M’Dougal, who could not swim. 


134 


ASTORIA. 


Comcomly, however, came bounding over the waves in 
his light canoe, and snatched them from a watery grave. 

They were taken on shore and a fire made, at which 
they dried their clothes, after which Comcomly conducted 
them back to his village. Here everything was done that 
could be devised for their entertainment during three 
days that they were detained by bad weather. Com¬ 
comly made his people perform antics before them ; and 
his wives and daughters endeavored, by all the soothing 
and endearing arts of women, to find favor in their eyes. 
Some even painted their bodies with red clay, and 
anointed themselves with fish oil, to give additional 
lustre to their charms. Mr. M’Dougal seems to have had 
a heart susceptible to the influence of the gentler sex. 
Whether or no it was first touched on this occasion we 
do not learn ; but it will be found, in the course of this 
work, that one of the daughters of the hospitable Com¬ 
comly eventually made a conquest of the great eri of the 
American Fur Company. 

When the weather had moderated and the sea become 
tranquil, the one-eyed chief of the Chinooks manned his 
state canoe, and conducted his guests in safety to the 
ship, where they were welcomed with joy, for apprehen¬ 
sions had been felt for their safety. Comcomly and his 
people were then entertained on board of the Tonquin, 
and liberally rewarded for their hospitality and ser¬ 
vices. They returned home highly satisfied, promising 
to remain faithful friends and allies of the white men. 


CHAPTER IX. 


POINT GEORGE.—FOUNDING OF ASTORIA.—INDIAN VISITORS.—THEIR RECBF- 
TION.—THE CAPTAIN TABOOS THE SHIP.—DEPARTURE OF THE TONQUIN.—' 
COMMENTS ON THE CONDUCT OF CAPTAIN THORN. 

■ BOM the report made by the two exploring 
partners, it was determined that Point George 
should be the site of the trading house. These 
gentlemen, it is true, were not perfectly satisfied with the 
place, and were desirous of continuing their search; but 
Captain Thorn was impatient to land his cargo and con¬ 
tinue his voyage, and protested against any more of what 
he termed “ sporting excursions.” 

Accordingly, on the 12th of April the launch was 
freighted with all things necessary for the purpose, and 
sixteen persons departed in her to commence the estab¬ 
lishment, leaving the Tonquin to follow as soon as the 
harbor could be sounded. 

Crossing the wide mouth of the river, the party landed, 
and encamped at the bottom of a small bay within Point 
George. The situation chosen for the fortified post was 
on an elevation facing to the north, with the wide estuary, 
its sand bars and tumultuous breakers spread out before 






136 


ASTORIA. 


it, and the promontory of Cape Disappointment, fifteen 
miles distant, closing the prospect to the left. The sur¬ 
rounding country was in all the freshness of spring ; the 
trees were in the young leaf, the weather was superb, and 
everything looked delightful to men just emancipated 
from a long confinement on shipboard. The Tonquin 
shortly afterwards made her way through the intricate 
channel, and came to anchor in the little bay, and was 
saluted from the encampment with three volleys of mus¬ 
ketry and three cheers. She returned the salute with 
three cheers and three guns. 

All hands now set to work cutting down trees, clearing 
away thickets, and marking out the place for the resi¬ 
dence, store-house, and powder magazine, which were to 
be built of logs and covered with bark. Others landed 
the timbers intended for the frame of the coasting vessel, 
and proceeded to put them together, while others pre¬ 
pared a garden spot, and sowed the seeds of various 
vegetables. 

The next thought was to give a name to the embryo 
metropolis : the one that naturally presented itself was 
that of the projector and supporter of the whole enter¬ 
prise. It was accordingly named Astoria. 

The neighboring Indians now swarmed about the 
place. Some brought a few land-otter and sea-otter skins 
to barter, but in very scanty parcels ; the greater number 
came prying about to gratify their curiosity, for they are 
said to be impertinently inquisitive ; while not a few 


DETENTION OF THE TONQUIN. 


137 


came with no other design than to pilfer; the laws of 
meum and tuum being but slightly respected among them. 
Some of them beset the ship in their canoes, among 
whom was the Chinook chief Comcomly, and his liege 
subjects. These were well received by Mr. M’Dougal, 
who was delighted with an opportunity of entering upon 
his functions, and acquiring importance in the eyes of his 
future neighbors. The confusion thus produced on board, 
and the derangement of the cargo caused by this petty 
trade, stirred the spleen of the captain, who had a sov¬ 
ereign contempt for the one-eyed chieftain and all his 
crew. He complained loudly of having his ship lumbered 
by a host of “ Indian ragamuffins,” who had not a skin to 
dispose of, and at length put his positive interdict upon 
all trafficking on board. Upon this Mr. M’Dougal was 
fain to land, and establish his quarters at the encamp¬ 
ment, where he could exercise his rights and enjoy his 
dignities without control. 

The feud, however, between these rival powers still 
continued, but was chiefly carried on by letter. Day after 
day and week after week elapsed, yet the store-house 
requisite for the reception of the cargo was not com¬ 
pleted, and the ship was detained in port; while the cap¬ 
tain was teased by frequent requisitions for various arti¬ 
cles for the use of the establishment, or the trade with 
the natives. An angry correspondence took place, in 
which he complained bitterly of the time wasted in 
“ smoking and sporting parties,” as he termed the recon- 


138 


ASTORIA. 


noitring expeditions, and in clearing and preparing 
meadow ground and turnip patches, instead of despatch¬ 
ing his ship. At length all these jarring matters were 
adjusted, if not to the satisfaction, at least to the acqui¬ 
escence of all parties. The part of the cargo destined for 
the use of Astoria was landed, and the ship left free to 
proceed on her voyage. 

As the Tonquin was to coast to the north, to trade for 
peltries at the different harbors, and to touch at Astoria 
on her return in the autumn, it was unanimously deter¬ 
mined that Mr. M’Kay should go in her as supercargo, 
taking with him Mr. Lewis as ship’s clerk. On the first 
of June the ship got under way, and dropped down to 
Baker’s Bay, where she was detained for a few days by a 
head wind; but early in the morning of the fifth stood 
out to sea with a fine breeze and swelling canvas, and 
swept off gaily on her fatal voyage, from which she was 
never to return! 

On reviewing the conduct of Captain Thorn, and exam¬ 
ining his peevish and somewhat whimsical correspond¬ 
ence, the impression left upon our mind is, upon the 
whole, decidedly in his favor. While we smile at the 
simplicity of his heart and the narrowness of his views, 
which made him regard everything out of the direct path 
of his daily duty, and the rigid exigencies of the service, 
as trivial and impertinent, which inspired him with con¬ 
tempt for the swelling vanity of some of his coadjutors, 
**"id the literary exercises and curious researches of 


REMARKS ON CAPTAIN THORN . 


139 


others, we cannot but applaud that strict and conscien¬ 
tious devotion to the interests of his employer, and to 
what he considered the true objects of the enterprise in 
which he was engaged. He certainly was to blame occa¬ 
sionally for the asperity of his manners, and the arbitrary 
nature of his measures, yet much that is exceptionable in 
this part of his conduct may be traced to rigid notions of 
duty acquired in that tyrannical school, a ship of war, 
and to the construction given by his companions to the 
orders of Mr. Astor, so little in conformity with his own. 
His mind, too, appears to have become almost diseased 
by the suspicions he had formed as to the loyalty of his 
associates, and the nature of their ultimate designs ; yet 
on this point there were circumstances to, in some mea¬ 
sure, justify him. The relations between the United 
States and Great Britain were at that time in a critical 
state; in fact, the two countries were on the eve of a war. 
Several of the partners were British subjects, and might 
be ready to desert the flag under which they acted, 
should a war take place. Their application to the British 
minister at New York shows the dubious feeling with 
which they had embarked in the present enterprise. 
They had been in the employ of the Northwest Company, 
and might be disposed to rally again under that associa¬ 
tion, should events threaten the prosperity of this em¬ 
bryo establishment of Mr. Astor. Besides, we have the 
fact, averred to us by one of the partners, that some of 
them, who were young and heedless, took a mischievous 


140 


ASTORIA. 


and unwarrantable pleasure in playing upon the jealous 
temper of the captain, and affecting mysterious consulta¬ 
tions and sinister movements. 

These circumstances are cited in palliation of the 
doubts and surmises of Captain Thorn, which might 
otherwise appear strange and unreasonable. That most 
of the partners were perfectly upright and faithful in the 
discharge of the trust reposed in them we are fully sat¬ 
isfied ; still the honest captain was not invariably wrong 
in his suspicions; and that he formed a pretty just opin¬ 
ion of the integrity of that aspiring personage, Mr 
M’Dougal, will be substantially proved in the sequeL 


CHAPTER X. 


DIBQUTBTING RUMORS PROM THE INTERIOR.—RECONNOITRING PARTY.—PREPA 
RATIONS FOR A TRADING POST.—AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL,.— A SPY IN THB 
CAMP.—EXPEDITION INTO THE INTERIOR.—SHORES OF THE COLUMBIA.— 
MOUNT COFFIN.—INDIAN SEPULCHRE.—THE LAND OF SPIRITS.—COLUMBIAN 
VALLEY.—VANCOUVER’S POINT.—FALLS AND RAPIDS.—A GREAT FISHING 
MART.—THE VILLAGE OF WISH-RAM.—DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FISHING INDI¬ 
ANS AND HUNTING INDIANS.—EFFECTS OF HABITS OF TRADE ON THB 
INDIAN CHARACTER.—POST ESTABLISHED AT THE OAKINAGAN. 


HILE the Astorians were busily occupied in 
completing their factory and fort, a report was 
brought to them by an Indian from the upper 
part of the river, that a party of thirty white men had 
appeared on the banks of the Columbia, and were actu¬ 
ally building houses at the second rapids. This infor¬ 
mation caused much disquiet. We have already men¬ 
tioned that the Northwest Company had established 
posts to the west of the Rocky Mountains, in a district 
called bv them New Caledonia, which extended from lat. 
52 to 55 north, being within the British territories. It 
was now apprehended that they were advancing within 
the American limits, and were endeavoring to seize upon 

the upper part of the river and forestall the American Fur 

141 










142 


ASTORIA. 


Company in the surrounding trade ; in which case bloody 
feuds might be anticipated, such as had prevailed be¬ 
tween the rival fur companies in former days. 

A reconnoitring party was sent up the river to ascer¬ 
tain the truth of the report. They ascended to the foot 
of the first rapid, about two hundred miles, but could 
hear nothing of any white men being in the neighborhood. 

Not long after their return, however, further accounts 
were received, by two wandering Indians, which estab¬ 
lished the fact, that the Northwest Company had actually 
erected a trading-house on the Spokan Biver, which falls 
into the north branch of the Columbia. 

What rendered this intelligence the more disquieting, 
was the inability of the Astorians, in their present re 
duced state as to numbers, and the exigencies of their 
new establishment, to furnish detachments to penetrate 
the country in different directions, and fix the posts nec¬ 
essary to secure the interior trade. 

It was resolved, however, at any rate, to advance a 
counter-check to this post on the Spokan, and one of the 
partners, Mr. David Stuart, prepared to set out for the 
purpose with eight men and a small assortment of goods. 
He was to be guided by the two Indians, who knew the 
country, and promised to take him to a place not far from 
the Spokan Biver, and in a neighborhood abounding with 
beaver. Here he was to establish himself and to remain 
for a time, provided he found the situation advantageous 
and the natives friendly. 


AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL . 


143 


On the 15th of July, when Mr. Stuart was nearly ready 
to embark, a canoe made its appearance, standing for the 
harbor, and manned by nine white men. Much specula¬ 
tion took place who these strangers could be, for it was 
too soon to expect their own people, under Mr. Hunt, 
who were to cross the continent. As the canoe drew 
near, the British standard was distinguished: on coming 
to land, one of the crew stepped on shore, and announced 
himself as Mr. David Thompson, astronomer, and partner 
of the Northwest Company. According to his account, 
he had set out in the preceding year with a tolerably 
strong party, and a supply of Indian goods, to cross the 
Rocky Mountains. A part of his people, however, had 
deserted him on the eastern side, and returned with the 
goods to the nearest Northwest post. He had persisted 
in crossing the mountains with eight men, who remained 
true to him. They had traversed the higher regions, and 
ventured near the source of the Columbia, where, in the 
spring, they had constructed a cedar canoe, the same in 
which they had reached Astoria. 

This, in fact, was the party despatched by the North¬ 
west Company to anticipate Mr. Astor in his intention of 
effecting a settlement at the mouth of the Columbia 
River. It appears, from information subsequently de¬ 
rived from other sources, that Mr. Thompson had pushed 
on his course with great haste, calling at all the Indian 
villages in his march, presenting them with British flags, 
and even planting them at the forks of the rivers, pro- 


144 


ASTORIA, 


claiming formally tliat lie took possession of the country 
in the name of the king of Great Britain for the North¬ 
west Company. As his original plan was defeated by the 
desertion of his people, it is probable that he descended 
the river simply to reconnoitre, and ascertain whether an 
American settlement had been commenced. 

Mr. Thompson was, no doubt, the first white man who 
descended the northern branch of the Columbia from 
so near its source. Lewis and Clarke struck the main 
body of the river at the forks, about four hundred miles 
from its mouth. They entered it from Lewis River, its 
southern branch, and thence descended. 

Though Mr. Thompson could be considered as little 
better than a spy in the camp, he was received with great 
cordiality by Mr. M’Dougal, who had a lurking feeling of 
companionship and good-will for all of the Northwest 
Company. He invited him to head-quarters, where he 
and his people were hospitably entertained. Nay, 
further, being somewhat in extremity, he was furnished 
by Mr. M’Dougal with goods and provisions for his jour¬ 
ney back, across the mountains, much against the wishes 
of Mr. David Stuart, who did not think the object of his 
visit entitled him to any favor. 

On the 23d of July, Mr. Stuart set out upon his expe¬ 
dition to the interior. His party consisted of four of the 
clerks, Messrs. Pillet, Ross, M’Lennon, and Montigny, 
two Canadian voyageurs, and two natives of the Sand¬ 
wich Islands. They had three canoes well laden with 


SHORES OF THE COLUMBIA . 


145 


provisions, and with goods and necessaries for a trading 
establishment. 

Mr. Thompson and his party set out in company with 
them, it being his intention to proceed direct to Mon¬ 
treal. The partners at Astoria forwarded by him a short 
letter to Mr. Astor, informing him of their safe arrival at 
the mouth of the Columbia, and that they had not yet 
heard of Mr. Hunt. The little squadron of canoes set 
sail with a favorable breeze, and soon passed Tongue 
Point, a long, high, and rocky promontory, covered with 
trees, and stretching far into the river. Opposite to this, 
on the northern shore, is a deep bay, where the Colum¬ 
bia anchored at the time of the discovery, and which 
is still called Gray’s Bay, from the name of her com¬ 
mander. 

From hence, the general course of the river for about 
seventy miles, was nearly southeast; varying in breadth 
according to its bays and indentations, and navigable for 
vessels of three hundred tons. The shores were in some 
places high and rocky, with low marshy islands at their 
feet, subject to inundation, and covered with willows, 
poplars, and other trees that love an alluvial soil. Some¬ 
times the mountains receded, and gave place to beautiful 
plains and noble forests. While the river margin was 
richly fringed with trees of deciduous foliage, the rough 
uplands were crowned by majestic pines, and firs of gi¬ 
gantic size, some towering to the height of between two 
and three hundred feet, with proportionate circumfe*- 
10 


146 


ASTORIA. 


ence. Out of these the Indians wrought their great 
canoes and pirogues. 

At one part of the river, they passed, on the northern 
side, an isolated rock, about one hundred and fifty feet 
high, rising from a low marshy soil, and totally discon¬ 
nected with the adjacent mountains. This was held in 
great reverence by the neighboring Indians, being one of 
their principal places of sepulture. The same provident 
care for the deceased that prevails among the hunting 
tribes of the prairies is observable among the piscatory 
tribes of the rivers and sea-coast. Among the former, the 
favorite horse of the hunter is buried with him in the 
same funereal mound, and his bow and arrows are laid 
by his side, that he may be perfectly equipped for the 
“ happy hunting grounds ” of the land of spirits. Among 
the latter, the Indian is wrapped in his mantle of skins, 
laid in his canoe, with his paddle, his fishing spear, and 
other implements beside him, and placed aloft on some 
rock or other eminence overlooking the river, or bay, or 
lake, that he has frequented. He is thus fitted out to 
launch away upon those placid streams and sunny lakes 
stocked with all kinds of fish and waterfowl, which are 
prepared in the next world for those who have acquitted 
themselves as good sons, good fathers, good husbands, 
and, above all, good fishermen, during their mortal sojourn. 

The isolated rock in question presented a spectacle of 
the kind, numerous dead bodies being deposited in 
canoes on its summit; while on poles around were 


COLUMBIAN VALLEY. 


147 


trophies, or, rather, funereal offerings of trinkets, gar¬ 
ments, baskets of roots, and other articles for the use of 
the deceased. A reverential feeling protects these sacred 
spots from robbery or insult. The friends of the de¬ 
ceased, especially the women, repair here at sunrise and 
sunset for some time after his death, singing his funeral 
dirge, and uttering loud wailings and lamentations. 

From the number of dead bodies in canoes observed 
upon this rock by the first explorers of the river, it re¬ 
ceived the name of Mount Coffin, which it continues to 
bear. 

Beyond this rock they passed the mouth of a river on 
the right bank of the Columbia, which appeared to take 
its rise in a distant mountain, covered with snow. The 
Indian name of this river was the Cowleskee. Some 
miles further on they came to the great Columbian Val¬ 
ley, so called by Lewis and Clarke. It is sixty miles in 
width, and extends far to the southeast between parallel 
ridges of mountains, which bound it on the east and 
west. Through the centre of this valley flowed a large 
and beautiful stream, called the Wallamot,* which came 
wandering for several hundred miles, through a yet un¬ 
explored wilderness. The sheltered situation of this im¬ 
mense valley had an obvious effect upon the climate. It 
was a region of great beauty and luxuriance, with lakes 
and pools, and green meadows shaded by noble groves. 


Pronounced Wallamot, the accent being upon the second syllable. 


148 


ASTORIA. 


Various tribes were said to reside in this valley, and 
along the banks of the Wallamot. 

About eight miles above the mouth of the Wallamot 
the little squadron arrived at Vancouver’s Point, so 
called in honor of that celebrated voyager by his lieuten¬ 
ant (Broughton) when he explored the river. This point 
is said to present one of the most beautiful scenes on the 
Columbia; a lovely meadow, with a silver sheet of limpid 
water in the centre, enlivened by wild-fowl, a range of 
hills crowned by forests, while the prospect is closed by 
Mount Hood, a magnificent mountain rising into a lofty 
peak, and covered with snow; the ultimate landmark of 
the first explorers of the river. 

Point Vancouver is about one hundred miles from 
Astoria. Here the reflux of the tide ceases to be percep¬ 
tible. To this place vessels of two and three hundred 
tons burden may ascend. The party under the command 
of Mr. Stuart had been three or four days in reaching it, 
though we have forborne to notice their daily progress 
and nightly encampments. 

From Point Vancouver the river turned towards the 
northeast, and became more contracted and rapid, with 
occasional islands and frequent sand-banks. These isl¬ 
ands are furnished with a number of ponds, and at cer¬ 
tain seasons abound with swans, geese, brandts, cranes, 
gulls, plover, and other wild-fowl. The shores, too, are 
low and closely wooded, and such an undergrowth of 
vines and rushes as to be almost impassable. 


FALLS AND RAPIDS. 


149 


About thirty miles above Point Vancouver the moun¬ 
tains again approach on both sides of the river, which is 
bordered by stupendous precipices, covered with the fir 
and the white cedar, and enlivened occasionally by beau¬ 
tiful cascades leaping from a great height, and sending 
up wreaths of vapor. One of these precipices, or cliffs, 
is curiously worn by time and weather so as to have the 
appearance of a ruined fortress, with towers and battle¬ 
ments, beetling high above the river, while two small 
cascades, one hundred and fifty feet in height, pitch down 
from the fissures of the rocks. 

The turbulence and rapidity of the current continually 
augmenting as they advanced, gave the voyagers intima¬ 
tion that they were approaching the great obstructions 
of the river, and at length they arrived at Strawberry 
Island, so called by Lewis and Clarke, which lies at the 
foot of the first rapid. As this part of the Columbia will 
be repeatedly mentioned in the course of this work, being 
the scene of some of its incidents, we shall give a general 
description of it in this place. 

The falls or rapids of the Columbia are situated above 
one hundred and eighty miles above the mouth of the 
river. The first is a perpendicular cascade of twenty 
feet, after which there is a swift descent for a mile, be¬ 
tween islands of hard black rock, to another pitch of 
eight feet divided by two rocks. About two and a half 
miles below this the river expands into a wide basin, 
seemingly dammed up by a perpendicular ridge of black 


150 


ASTORIA. 


rock. A current, however, sets diagonally to the left 
of this rocky barrier, where there is a chasm forty-five 
yards in width. Through this the whole body of the 
river roars along, swelling and whirling and boiling for 
some distance in the wildest confusion. Through this 
tremendous channel the intrepid explorers of the river, 
Lewis and Clarke, passed safely in their boats; the dan¬ 
ger being, not from the rocks, but from the great surges 
and whirlpools. 

At the distance of a mile and a half from the foot of 
this narrow channel is a rapid, formed by two rocky isl¬ 
ands ; and two miles beyond is a second great fall, over a 
ledge of rocks twenty feet high, extending nearly from 
shore to shore. The river is again compressed into a 
channel from fifty to a hundred feet wide, worn through 
a rough bed of hard black rock, along which it boils and 
roars with great fury for the distance of three miles. 
This is called “The Long Narrows.” 

Here is the great fishing place of the Columbia. In 
the spring of the year, when the water is high, the sal¬ 
mon ascend the river in incredible numbers. As they 
pass through this narrow strait, the Indians, standing on 
the rocks, or on the end of wooden stages projecting 
from the banks, scoop them up with small nets distended 
on hoops and attached to long handles, and cast them on 
the shore. 

They are then cured and packed in a peculiar manner. 
After having been opened and disemboweled, they are 


A GREAT FISHING MART. 


151 


exposed to the sun on scaffolds erected on the river 
banks. When sufficiently dry, they are pounded fine 
between two stones, pressed into the smallest compass, 
and packed in baskets or bales of grass matting, about 
two feet long and one in diameter, lined with the cured 
skin of a salmon. The top is likewise covered with fish 
skins, secured by cords passing through holes in the 
edge of the basket. Packages are then made, each con¬ 
taining twelve of these bales, seven at bottom, five at top, 
pressed close to each other, with the corded side upward, 
wrapped in mats and corded. These are placed in dry 
situations, and again covered with matting. Each of 
these packages contains from ninety to a hundred pounds 
of dried fish, which in this state will keep sound for sev¬ 
eral years.* 

We have given this process at some length, as fur¬ 
nished by the first explorers, because it marks a prac¬ 
ticed ingenuity in preparing articles of traffic for a mar¬ 
ket, seldom seen among our aboriginals. For like reason 
we would make especial mention of the village of Wish- 
ram, at the head of the Long Narrows, as being a soli¬ 
tary instance of an aboriginal trading mart, or emporium. 
Here the salmon caught in the neighboring rapids were 
“warehoused,” to await customers. Hither the tribes 
from the mouth of the Columbia repaired with the fish 
of the sea-coast, the roots, berries, and especially the 


Lewis and Clarke, vol. ii. p. 32. 


152 


ASTORIA . 


wappatoo, gathered in the lower parts of the river, to¬ 
gether with goods and trinkets obtained from the ships 
which casually visit the coast. Hither also the tribes 
from the Rocky Mountains brought down horses, bear- 
grass, quamash, and other commodities of the interior. 
The merchant fishermen at the falls acted as middle¬ 
men or factors, and passed the objects of traffic, as it 
were, cross-handed; trading away part of the wares re¬ 
ceived from the mountain tribes to those of the rivers 
and plains, and vice versa: their packages of pounded 
salmon entered largely into the system of barter, and 
being carried off in opposite directions, found their 
way to the savage hunting camps far in the interior, 
and to the casual white traders who touched upon the 
coast. 

We have already noticed certain contrarieties of char¬ 
acter between the Indian tribes, produced by their diet 
and mode of life; and nowhere are they more apparent 
than about the falls of the Columbia. The Indians of 
this great fishing mart are represented by the earliest ex¬ 
plorers as sleeker and fatter, but less hardy and active, 
than the tribes of the mountains and prairies, who live 
by hunting, or of the upper parts of the river, where fish 
is scanty, and the inhabitants must eke out their sub¬ 
sistence by digging roots or chasing the deer. Indeed, 
whenever an Indian of the upper country is too lazy to 
hunt, yet is fond of good living, he repairs to the falls, to 
live in abundance without labor. 


EFFECTS OF TRADE ON TEE INDIANS. 


153 


“By such worthless dogs as these,” says an honest 
trader in his journal, which now lies before us, “ by such 
worthless dogs as these are these noted fishing-places 
peopled, which, like our great cities, may with propriety 
be called the headquarters of vitiated principles.” 

The habits of trade and the avidity of gain have their 
corrupting effects even in the wilderness, as may be in¬ 
stanced in the members of this aboriginal emporium; for 
the same journalist denounces them as “ saucy, impudent 
rascals, who will steal when they can, and pillage when¬ 
ever a weak party falls in their power.” 

That he does not belie them will be evidenced here¬ 
after, when we have occasion again to touch at Wish-ram 
and navigate the rapids. In the present instance the 
travellers effected the laborious ascent of this part of the 
river, with all its various portages, without molestation, 
and once more launched away in smooth water above the 
high falls. 

The two parties continued together, without material 
impediment, for three or four hundred miles further up 
the Columbia; Mr. Thompson appearing to take great 
interest in the success of Mr. Stuart, and pointing out 
places favorable, as he said, to the establishment of his 
contemplated trading post. 

Mr. Stuart, who distrusted his sincerity, at length pre¬ 
tended to adopt his advice, and, taking leave of him, 
remained as if to establish himself, while the other 
proceeded on his course towards the mountains. No 


154 


ASTORIA. 


sooner, however, had he fairly departed than Mr. Stuart 
again pushed forward, under guidance of the two Indians, 
nor did he stop until he had arrived within about one 
hundred and forty miles of the Spokan River, which he 
considered near enough to keep the rival establishment 
in check. 

The place which he pitched upon for his trading post 
was a point of land about three miles in length and two 
in breadth, formed by the junction of the Oakinagan with 
the Columbia. The former is a river which has its 
source in a considerable lake about one hundred and fifty 
miles west of the point of junction. The two rivers, 
about the place of their confluence, are bordered by im¬ 
mense prairies covered with herbage, but destitute of 
trees. The point itself was ornamented with wild flowers 
of every hue, in which innumerable humming-birds were 
“banqueting nearly the livelong day.” 

The situation of this point appeared to be well adapted 
for a trading post. The climate was salubrious, the soil 
fertile, the rivers well stocked with fish, the natives 
peaceable and friendly. There were easy communications 
with the interior by the upper waters of the Columbia 
and the lateral stream of the Oakinagan, while the down¬ 
ward current of the Columbia furnished a highway to 
Astoria. 

Availing himself, therefore, of the driftwood which had 
collected in quantities in the neighboring bends of the 
river, Mr. Stuart and his men set to work to erect a 


POST ESTABLISHED AT THE OA KINA GAN. 155 


house, which in a little while was sufficiently completed 
for their residence; and thus was established the first 
interior post of the company. We will now return to 
notice the progress of affairs at the mouth of the Co¬ 
lumbia. 


CHAPTER XL 


ALARM AT ASTORIA.—RUMOR OF INDIAN HOSTILITIES.—PREPARATIONS FO* 
DEFENSE.—TRAGICAL FATE OF THE TONQUIN. 


HE sailing of the Tonquin, and the departure of 
Mr. David Stuart and his detachment, had pro¬ 
duced a striking effect on affairs at Astoria. 
The natives who had swarmed about the place began im¬ 
mediately to drop off, until at length not an Indian was 
to be seen. This, at first, was attributed to the want of 
peltries with which to trade; but in a little while the 
mystery was explained in a more alarming manner. A 
conspiracy was said to be on foot among the neighboring 
tribes to make a combined attack upon the white men, 
now that they were so reduced in number. For this pur¬ 
pose there had been a gathering of warriors in a neigh¬ 
boring bay, under pretext of fishing for sturgeon; and 
fleets of canoes were expected to join them from the 
north and south. Even Comcomly, the one-eyed chief, 
notwithstanding his professed friendship for Mr. M’Dou- 
gal. was strongly suspected of being concerned in this 
general combination. 

Alarmed at rumors of this impending danger, the 

156 











ALARMING RUM0R8. 


157 


Astorians suspended tlieir regular labor, and set to work, 
with all haste, to throw up temporary works for refuge 
and defense. In the course of a few days they sur¬ 
rounded their dwelling-house and magazines with a 
picket fence ninety feet square, flanked by two bastions, 
on which were mounted four four-pounders. Every day 
they exercised themselves in the use of their weapons, so 
as to qualify themselves for military duty, and at night 
ensconced themselves in their fortress and posted sen¬ 
tinels, to guard against surprise. In this way they hoped, 
even in case of attack, to be able to hold out until the 
arrival of the party to be conducted by Mr. Hunt across 
the Rocky Mountains, or until the return of the Tonquin. 
The latter dependence, however, was doomed soon to be 
destroyed. Early in August, a wandering band of savages 
from the Strait of Juan de Euca, made their appearance 
at the mouth of the Columbia, where they came to fish 
for sturgeon. They brought disastrous accounts of the 
Tonquin, which were at first treated as mere fables, but 
which were too sadly confirmed by a different tribe that 
arrived a few days subsequently. We shall relate the 
circumstances of this melancholy affair as correctly as 
the casual discrepancies in the statements that have 
reached us will permit. 

We have already stated that the Tonquin set sail from 
the mouth of the river on the fifth of June. The whole 
number of persons on board amounted to twenty-three. 
In one of the outer bays they picked up, from a fishing 


158 


ASTORIA. 


canoe, an Indian named Lamazee, who had already made 
two voyages along the coast, and knew something of the 
language of the various tribes. He agreed to accompany 
them as interpreter. 

Steering to the north, Captain Thorn arrived in a few 
days at Vancouver’s Island, and anchored in the harbor 
of Neweetee, very much against the advice of his Indian 
interpreter, who warned him against the perfidious char¬ 
acter of the natives of this part of the coast. Numbers 
of canoes soon came off, bringing sea-otter skins to sell. 
It was too late in the day to commence a traffic, but Mr. 
M’Kay, accompanied by a few of the men, went on shore 
to a large village to visit Wicananish, the chief of the 
surrounding territory, six of the natives remaining on 
board as hostages. He was received with great profes¬ 
sions of friendship, entertained hospitably, and a couch 
of sea-otter skins was prepared for him in the dwelling 
of the chieftain, where he was prevailed upon to pass the 
night. 

In the morning, before Mr. M’Kay had returned to the 
ship, great numbers of the natives came off in their 
canoes to trade, headed by two sons of Wicananish. As 
they brought abundance of sea-otter skins, and there was 
every appearance of a brisk trade, Captain Thorn did not 
wait for the return of Mr. M’Kay, but spread his wares 
upon deck, making a tempting display of blankets, 
cloths, knives, beads, and fish-hooks, expecting a prompt 
and profitable sale. The Indians, however, were not so 


A DEADLY INSULT. 


159 


eager and simple as he had supposed, having learned the 
art of bargaining and the value of merchandise from the 
casual traders along the coast. They were guided, too, 
by a shrewd old chief named Nookamis, who had grown 
gray in traffic with New England skippers, and prided 
himself upon his acuteness. His opinion seemed to 
regulate the market. When Captain Thorn made what 
he considered a liberal offer for an otter-skin, the wily 
old Indian treated it with scorn, and asked more than 
double. His comrades all took their cue from him, and 
not an otter-skin was to be had at a reasonable rate. 

The old fellow, however, overshot his mark, and mis¬ 
took the character of the man he was treating with. 
Thorn was a plain, straightforward sailor, who never had 
two minds nor two prices in his dealings, was deficient in 
patience and pliancy, and totally wanting in the chicanery 
of traffic. He had a vast deal of stern, but honest pride 
in his nature, and, moreover, held the whole savage race 
in sovereign contempt. Abandoning all further attempts, 
therefore, to bargain with his shuffling customers, he 
thrust his hands into his pockets, and paced up and 
down the deck in sullen silence. The cunning old Indian 
followed him to and fro, holding out a sea-otter skin to 
him at every turn, and pestering him to trade. Finding 
other means unavailing, he suddenly changed his tone, 
and began to jeer and banter him upon the mean prices 
he offered. This was too much for the patience of the 
captain, who was never remarkable for relishing a joke, 


160 


ASTORIA . 


especially when at his own expense. Turning suddenly 
upon his persecutor, he snatched the proffered otter-skin 
from his hands, rubbed it in his face, and dismissed him 
over the side of the ship with no very complimentary 
application to accelerate his exit. He then kicked the 
peltries to the right and left about the deck, and broke 
up the market in the most ignominious manner. Old 
Nookamis made for shore in a furious passion, in which 
he was joined by She wish, one of the sons of Wicananish, 
who went off breathing vengeance, and the ship was soon 
abandoned by the natives. 

When Mr. M’Kay returned on board, the interpreter 
related what had passed, and begged him to prevail upon 
the captain to make sail, as from his knowledge of the 
temper and pride of the people of the place, he was sure 
they would resent the indignity offered to one of their 
chiefs. Mr. M’Kay, who himself possessed some expe¬ 
rience of Indian character, went to the captain, who was 
still pacing the deck in moody humor, represented the 
danger to which his hasty act had exposed the vessel, 
and urged him to weigh anchor. The captain made light 
of his counsels, and pointed to his cannon and fire-arms 
as sufficient safeguard against naked savages. Further 
remonstrances only provoked taunting replies and sharp 
altercations. The day passed away without any signs of 
hostility, and at night the captain retired as usual to his 
cabin, taking no more than the usual precautions. 

On the following morning, at daybreak, while the cap-- 


INDIANS THBONO THE SHIP . 


161 


tain and Mr. M’Kay were yet asleep, a canoe came along¬ 
side in which were twenty Indians, commanded by young 
Shewish. They were unarmed, their aspect and de¬ 
meanor friendly, and they held up otter-skins, and made 
signs indicative of a wish to trade. The caution enjoined 
by Mr. Astor, in respect to the admission of Indians on 
board of the ship, had been neglected for some time past, 
and the officer of the watch, perceiving those in the canoe 
to be without weapons, and having received no orders to 
the contrary, readily permitted them to mount the deck. 
Another canoe soon succeeded, the crew of which was 
likewise admitted. In a little while other canoes came 
off, and Indians were soon clambering into the vessel on 
all sides. 

The officer of the watch now felt alarmed, and called to 
Captain Thorn and Mr. M’Kay. By the time they came 
on deck, it was thronged with Indians. The interpreter 
noticed to Mr. M’Kay that many of the natives wore 
short mantles of skins, and intimated a suspicion that 
they were secretly armed. Mr. M’Kay urged the captain 
to clear the ship and get under way. He again made 
light of the advice ; but the augmented swarm of canoes 
about the ship, and the numbers still putting off from 
shore, at length awakened his distrust, and he ordered 
some of the crew to weigh anchor, while some were sent 
aloft to make sail. 

The Indians now offered to trade with the captain on 
his own terms, prompted, apparently, by the approaching 
11 


162 


ASTORIA. 


departure of the ship. Accordingly, a hurried trade was 
commenced. The main articles sought by the savages 
in barter were knives; as fast as some were supplied 
they moved off, and others succeeded. By degrees 
they were thus distributed about the deck, and all with 
weapons. 

The anchor was now nearly up, the sails were loose, 
and the captain, in a loud and peremptory tone, ordered 
the ship to be cleared. In an instant, a signal yell was 
given; it was echoed on every side, knives and war-clubs 
were brandished in every direction, and the savages 
rushed upon their marked victims. 

The first that fell was Mr. Lewis, the ship’s clerk. He 
was leaning, with folded arms, over a bale of blankets, 
engaged in bargaining, when he received a deadly stab in 
the back, and fell down the companion-way. 

Mr. M’Kay, who was seated on the taffrail, sprang on 
his feet, but was instantly knocked down with a war-club 
and flung backwards into the sea, where he was de¬ 
spatched by the women in the canoes. 

In the meantime Captain Thorn made desperate fight 
against fearful odds. He was a powerful as well as a 
resolute man, but he had come upon deck without weap¬ 
ons. Shewish, the young chief, singled him out as his 
peculiar prey, and rushed upon him at the first outbreak 
The captain had barely time to draw a clasp-knife, with 
one blow of which he laid the young savage dead at his 
feet. Several of the stoutest followers of Shewish now set 


MASSACRE OF THE GREW. 


163 


tipon him. He defended himself vigorously, dealing crip¬ 
pling blows to right and left, and strewing the quarter¬ 
deck with the slain and wounded. His object was to fight 
his way to the cabin, where there were fire-arms; but he 
was hemmed in with foes, covered with wounds, and faint 
with loss of blood. For an instant he leaned upon the 
tiller wheel, when a blow from behind, with a war-club, 
felled him to the deck, where he was despatched with 
knives and thrown overboard. 

While this was transacting upon the quarter-deck, a 
chance-medley fight was going on throughout the ship. 
The crew fought desperately with knives, handspikes, 
and whatever weapon they could seize upon in the mo¬ 
ment of surprise. They were soon, however, overpow¬ 
ered by numbers, and mercilessly butchered. 

As to the seven who had been sent aloft to make sail, 
they contemplated with horror the carnage that was 
going on below. Being destitute of weapons, they let 
themselves down by the running rigging, in hopes of get¬ 
ting between decks. One fell in the attempt, and was 
instantly despatched; another received a death-blow in 
the back as he was descending; a third, Stephen Weekes, 
the armorer, was mortally wounded as he was getting 
down the hatchway. 

The remaining four made good their retreat into the 
cabin, where they found Mr. Lewis, still alive, though 
mortally wounded. Barricading the cabin door, they 
broke holes through the companion-way, and, with the 


164 


ASTORIA. 


muskets and ammunition which were at hand, opened a 
brisk fire that soon cleared the deck. 

Thus far the Indian interpreter, from whom these par¬ 
ticulars are derived, had been an eye-witness to the 
deadly conflict. He had taken no part in it, and had 
been spared by the natives as being of their race. In the 
confusion of the moment he took refuge with the rest, in 
the canoes. The survivors of the crew now sallied forth, 
and discharged some of the deck guns, which did great 
execution among the canoes, and drove all the savages to 
shore. 

For the remainder of the day no one ventured to put 
off to the ship, deterred by the effects of the fire-arms. 
The night passed away without any further attempt on 
the part of the natives. When the day dawned, the Ton- 
quin still lay at anchor in the bay, her sails all loose and 
flapping in the wind, and no one apparently on board of 
her. After a time, some of the canoes ventured forth to 
reconnoitre, taking with them the interpreter. They 
paddled about her, keeping cautiously at a distance, but 
growing more and more emboldened at seeing her quiet 
and lifeless. One man at length made his appearance on 
the deck, and was recognized by the interpreter as Mr. 
Lewis. He made friendly signs, and invited them on 
board. It was long before they ventured to comply. 
Those who mounted the deck met with no opposition ; 
no one was to be seen on board; for Mr. Lewis, after 
inviting them, had disappeared. Other canoes now 


THE UNFORTUNATE FUGITIVES. 


165 


pressed forward to board the prize; the decks were soon 
crowded, and the sides covered with clambering savages, 
all intent on plunder. In the midst of their eagerness 
and exultation, the ship blew up with a tremendous ex¬ 
plosion. Arms, legs, and mutilated bodies were blown 
into the air, and dreadful havoc was made in the sur¬ 
rounding canoes. The interpreter was in the main-chains 
at the time of the explosion, and was thrown unhurt into 
the water, where he succeeded in getting into one of the 
canoes. According to his statement, the bay presented 
an awful spectacle after the catastrophe. The ship had 
disappeared, but the bay was covered with fragments of 
the wreck, with shattered canoes, and Indians swimming 
for their lives, or struggling in the agonies of death; 
while those who had escaped the danger remained aghast 
and stupefied, or made with frantic panic for the shore. 
Upwards of a hundred savages were destroyed by the 
explosion, many more were shockingly mutilated, and for 
days afterwards the limbs and bodies of the slain were 
thrown upon the beach. 

The inhabitants of Neweetee were overwhelmed with 
consternation at this astounding calamity, which had 
burst upon them in the very moment of triumph. The 
warriors sat mute and mournful, while the women filled 
the air with loud lamentations. Their weeping and wail¬ 
ing, however, was suddenly changed into yells of fury at 
the sight of four unfortunate white men, brought captive 
into the village. They had been driven on shore in on* 


166 


ASTORIA . 


of the ship’s boats, and taken at some distance along the 
coast. 

The interpreter was permitted to converse with them. 
They proved to be the four brave fellows who had made 
such desperate defense from the cabin. The interpreter 
gathered from them some of the particulars already re¬ 
lated. They told him further, that after they had beaten 
off the enemy and cleared the ship, Lewis advised that 
they should slip the cable and endeavor to get to sea. 
They declined to take his advice, alleging that the wind 
set too strongly into the bay and would drive them on 
shore. They resolved, as soon as it was dark, to put off 
quietly in the ship’s boat, which they would be able to 
do unperceived, and to coast along back to Astoria. 
They put their resolution into effect; but Lewis refused 
to accompany them, being disabled by his wound, hope¬ 
less of escape, and determined on a terrible revenge. On 
the voyage out, he had repeatedly expressed a presenti¬ 
ment that he should die by his own hands; thinking it 
highly probable that he should be engaged in some con¬ 
test with the natives, and being resolved, in case of 
extremity, to commit suicide rather than be made a pris¬ 
oner. He now declared his intention to remain on board 
of the ship until daylight, to decoy as many of the sav¬ 
ages on board as possible, then to set fire to the powder 
magazine, and terminate his life by a signal act of ven¬ 
geance. How well he succeeded has been shown. His 
companions bade him a melancholy adieu, and set off on 


ERRORS OF CAPTAIN THORN. 


167 


their precarious expedition. They strove with might and 
main to get out of the bay, but found it impossible to 
weather a point of land, and were at length compelled to 
take shelter in a small cove, where they hoped to remain 
concealed until the wind should be more favorable. Ex¬ 
hausted by fatigue and watching, they fell into a sound 
sleep, and in that state were surprised by the savages. 
Better had it been for those unfortunate men had they 
remained with Lewis, and shared his heroic death : as it 
was, they perished in a more painful and protracted 
manner, being sacrificed by the natives to the manes of 
their friends with all the lingering tortures of savage 
cruelty. Some time after their death, the interpreter, 
who had remained a kind of prisoner at large, effected 
his escape, and brought the tragical tidings to Astoria. 

Such is the melancholy story of the Tonquin, and such 
was the fate of her brave, but headstrong commander, 
and her adventurous crew. It is a catastrophe that 
shows the importance, in all enterprises of moment, to 
keep in mind the general instructions of the sagacious 
heads which devise them. Mr. Astor was well aware of 
the perils to which ships were exposed on this coast 
from quarrels with the natives, and from perfidious at¬ 
tempts of the latter to surprise and capture them in 
unguarded moments. He had repeatedly enjoined it 
upon Captain Thorn, in conversation, and at parting, in 
his letter of instructions, to be courteous and kind in his 
dealings with the savages, but by no means to confide in 


168 


ASTORIA. 


tlieir apparent friendship, nor to admit more than a few 
on hoard of his ship at a time. 

Had the deportment of Captain Thorn been properly 
regulated, the insult so wounding to savage pride would 
never have been given. Had he enforced the rule to 
admit but a few at a time, the savages would not have 
been able to get the mastery. He was too irritable, how¬ 
ever, to practice the necessary self-command, and, having 
been nurtured in a proud contempt of danger, thought it 
beneath him to manifest any fear of a crew of unarmed 
savages. 

With all his faults and foibles, we cannot but speak of 
him with esteem, and deplore his untimely fate; for we 
remember him well in early life, as a companion in pleas¬ 
ant scenes and joyous hours. When on shore, among his 
friends, he was a frank, manly, sound-hearted sailor. On 
board ship he evidently assumed the hardness of deport¬ 
ment and sternness of demeanor which many deem es¬ 
sential to naval service. Throughout the whole of the 
expedition, however, he showed himself loyal, single- 
minded, straightforward, and fearless ; and if the fate of 
his vessel may be charged to his harshness and impru¬ 
dence, we should recollect that he paid for his error with 
his life. 

The loss of the Tonquin was a grievous blow to the 
infant establishment of Astoria, and one that threatened 
to bring after it a train of disasters. The intelligence of 
it did not reach Mr. Astor until many months afterwards. 


CALMNESS OF MR. ASTOR. 


169 


He felt it in all its force, and was aware that it must 
cripple, if not entirely defeat, the great scheme of his 
ambition. In his letters, written at the time, he speaks 
of it as “ a calamity, the length of which he could not 
foresee.” He indulged, however, in no weak and vain 
lamentation, but sought to devise a prompt and efficient 
remedy. The very same evening he appeared at the 
theatre with his usual serenity of countenance. A friend, 
who knew the disastrous intelligence he had received, 
expressed his astonishment that he could have calmness 
of spirit sufficient for such a scene of light amusement. 
“ What would you have me do ? ” was his characteristic 
reply; “ would you have me stay at home and weep for 
what I cannot help ? ” 


CHAPTER XII. 


•LOOM AT ASTORIA.—AN INGENIOUS STRATAGEM.—THE SMALL-POX CHIEF.— 
LAUNCHING OF THE DOLLY.—AN ARRIVAL.—A CANADIAN TRAPPER.— A 
FREEMAN OF THE FOREST.—AN IROQUOIS HUNTER.—WINTER ON THE CO¬ 
LUMBIA.—FESTIVITIES OF NEW YEAR. 

HE tidings of the loss of the Tonquin, and the 
massacre of her crew, struck dismay into the 
hearts of the Astorians. They found them¬ 
selves a mere handful of men, on a savage coast, sur¬ 
rounded by hostile tribes, who would doubtless be in¬ 
cited and encouraged to deeds of violence by the late 
fearful catastrophe. In this juncture Mr. M’Dougal, we 
are told, had recourse to a stratagem by which to avail 
himself of the ignorance and credulity of the savages, 
and which certainly does credit to his ingenuity. 

The natives of the coast, and, indeed, of all the regions 
west of the mountains, had an extreme dread of the 
small-pox; that terrific scourge having, a few years pre¬ 
viously, appeared among them, and almost swept off 
entire tribes. Its origin and nature were wrapped in 
mystery, and they conceived it an evil inflicted upon 
them by the Great Spirit, or brought among them by the 

170 









THE GREAT 8MALL-POX CHIEF. 


171 


white men. The last idea was seized upon by Mr. 
M’Dougal. He assembled several of the chieftains whom 
he believed to be in the conspiracy. "When they were all 
seated around, he informed them that he had heard of 
the treachery of some of their northern brethren towards 
the Tonquin, and was determined on vengeance. “ The 
white men among you,” said he, “ are few in number, it 
is true, but they are mighty in medicine. See here,” 
continued he, drawing forth a small bottle and holding it 
before their eyes, “ in this bottle I hold the small-pox, 
safely corked up; I have but to draw the cork, and let 
loose the pestilence, to sweep man, woman, and child 
from the face of the earth.” 

The chiefs were struck with horror and alarm. They 
implored him not to uncork the bottle, since they and all 
their people were firm friends of the white men, and 
would always remain so; but, should the small-pox be 
once let out, it would run like wildfire throughout the 
country, sweeping off the good as well as the bad; and 
surely he would not be so unjust as to punish his friends 
for crimes committed by his enemies. 

Mr. M’Dougal pretended to be convinced by their rea¬ 
soning, and assured them that, so long as the white peo¬ 
ple should be unmolested, and the conduct of their Ind¬ 
ian neighbors friendly and hospitable, the phial of wrath 
should remain sealed up; but, on the least hostility, the 
fatal cork should be drawn. 

From this time, it is added, he was much dreaded by 


172 


ASTORIA ,. 


the natives, as one who held their fate in his hands, and 
was called, by way of preeminence, “ the Great Small- pox 
Chief.” 

All this while, the labors at the infant settlement went 
on with unremitting assiduity, and, by the 26th of Sep¬ 
tember, a commodious mansion, spacious enough to 
accommodate all hands, was completed. It was built of 
stone and clay, there being no calcareous stone in the 
neighborhood from which lime for mortar could be pro¬ 
cured. The schooner was also finished, and launched, 
with the accustomed ceremony, on the second of Octo¬ 
ber, and took her station below the fort. She was named 
the Dolly, and was the first American vessel launched on 
this coast. 

On the 5th of October, in the evening, the little com¬ 
munity at Astoria was enlivened by the unexpected 
arrival of a detachment from Mr. David Stuart’s post on 
the Oakinagan. It consisted of two of the clerks and two 
of the privates. They brought favorable accounts of the 
new establishment, but reported that, as Mr. Stuart was 
apprehensive there might be a difficulty of subsisting his 
whole party throughout the winter, he had sent one half 
back to Astoria, retaining with him only Ross, Montigny, 
and two others. Such is the hardihood of the Indian 
trader. In the heart of a savage and unknown country, 
seven hundred miles from the main body of his fellow- 
adventurers, Stuart had dismissed half of his little num¬ 
ber, and was prepared with the residue to brave all the 


"FREEMEN; 


173 


perils of tne wilderness, and tlie rigors of a long and 
dreary winter. 

With the return party came a Canadian creole named 
Kegis Brugiere and an Iroquois hunter, with his wife and 
two children. As these two personages belong to certain 
classes which have derived their peculiar characteristics 
from the fur trade, we deem some few particulars con¬ 
cerning them pertinent to the nature of this work. 

Brugiere was of a class of beaver trappers and hunters 
technically called “Freemen,” in the language of the 
traders. They are generally Canadians by birth, and of 
French descent, who have been employed for a term of 
years by some fur company, but, their term being ex¬ 
pired, continue to hunt and trap on their own account, 
trading with the company like the Indians. Hence they 
derive their appellation of Freemen, to distinguish them 
from the trappers who are bound for a number of years, 
and receive wages, or hunt on shares. 

Having passed their early youth in the wilderness, 
separated almost entirely from civilized man, and in fre¬ 
quent intercourse with the Indians, they relapse, with a 
facility common to human nature, into the habitudes of 
savage life. Though no longer bound by engagements to 
continue in the interior, they have become so accustomed 
to the freedom of the forest and the prairie, that they 
look back with repugnance upon the restraints of civili¬ 
zation. Most of them intermarry with the natives, and, 
lik e the latter, have often a plurality of wives. Wan- 


174 


ASTORIA. 


derers of the wilderness, according to the vicissitudes of 
the seasons, the migrations of animals, and the plenty or 
scarcity of game, they lead a precarious and unsettled 
existence; exposed to sun and storm, and all kinds of 
hardships, until they resemble Indians in complexion as 
well as in tastes and habits. From time to time, they 
bring the peltries they have collected to the trading 
houses of the company in whose employ they have 
been brought up. Here they traffic them away for such 
articles of merchandise or ammunition as they may stand 
in need of. At the time when Montreal was the great 
emporium of the fur trader, one of these freemen of the 
wilderness would suddenly return, after an absence of 
many years, among his old friends and comrades. He 
would be greeted as one risen from the dead; and with 
the greater welcome, as he returned flush of money. A 
short time, however, spent in revelry, would be sufficient 
to drain his purse and sate him with civilized life, and 
he would return with new relish to the unshackled free¬ 
dom of the forest. 

Numbers of men of this class were scattered through¬ 
out the northwest territories. Some of them retained a 
little of the thrift and forethought of the civilized man, 
and became wealthy among their improvident neighbors ; 
their wealth being chiefly displayed in large bands of 
horses, which covered the prairies in the vicinity of their 
abodes. Most of them, however, were prone to assimi¬ 
late to the red man in their heedlessness of the future. 


HALF-CIVILIZED INDIANS . 


175 


Such was Regis Brugiere, a freeman and rover of the 
wilderness. Having been brought up in the service of 
the Northwest Company, he had followed in the train of 
one of its expeditions across the Rocky Mountains, and 
undertaken to trap for the trading post established on 
the Spokan River. In the course of his hunting excur¬ 
sions he had either accidentally, or designedly, found his 
way to the post of Mr. Stuart, and had been prevailed 
upon to descend the Columbia, and “try his luck” at 
Astoria. 

Ignace Shonowane, the Iroquois hunter, was a speci¬ 
men of a different class. He was one of those aboriginals 
of Canada who had partially conformed to the habits 
of civilization and the doctrines of Christianity, under 
the influence of the French colonists and the Catholic 
priests; who seem generally to have been more success¬ 
ful in conciliating, taming, and converting the savages, 
than their English and Protestant rivals. These half- 
civilized Indians retained some of the good, and many of 
the evil qualities of their original stock. They were first- 
rate hunters, and dexterous in the management of the 
canoe. They could undergo great privations, and were 
admirable for the service of the rivers, lakes, and forests, 
provided they could be kept sober, and in proper subor¬ 
dination ; but once inflamed with liquor, to which they 
were madly addicted, all the dormant passions inherent 
in their nature were prone to break forth, and to hurry 
them into the most vindictive and bloody acts of violence. 


176 


ASTORIA. 


Though they generally professed the Roman Catholic 
religion, yet it was mixed, occasionally, with some of 
their ancient superstitions; and they retained much of 
the Indian belief in charms and omens. Numbers of 
these men were employed by the Northwest Company as 
trappers, hunters, and canoe men, but on lower terms 
than were allowed to white men. Ignace Shonowane had, 
in this way, followed the enterprise of the company to 
the banks of the Spokan, being, probably, one of the first 
of his tribe that had traversed the Rocky Mountains. 

Such were some of the motley populace of the wilder¬ 
ness, incident to the fur trade, who were gradually at¬ 
tracted to the new settlement of Astoria. 

The month of October now began to give indications of 
approaching winter. Hitherto, the colonists had been 
well pleased with the climate. The summer had been 
temperate, the mercury never rising above eighty de¬ 
grees. Westerly winds had prevailed during the spring 
and the early part of the summer, and been succeeded by 
fresh breezes from the northwest. In the month of 
October the southerly winds set in, bringing with them 
frequent rain. 

The Indians now began to quit the borders of the 
ocean, and to retire to their winter quarters in the shel¬ 
tered bosom of the forests, or along the small rivers and 
brooks. The rainy season, which commences in Octo¬ 
ber, continues, with little intermission, until April; and 
though the winters are generally mild, the mercury sel- 


NEW 7EAR FESTIVITIES. 


177 


dom sinking below the freezing point, yet the tempests 
of wind and rain are terrible. The sun is sometimes 
obscured for weeks, the brooks swell into roaring tor¬ 
rents, and the country is threatened with a deluge. 

The departure of the Indians to their winter quarters 
gradually rendered provisions scanty, and obliged the 
colonists to send out foraging expeditions in the Dolly. 
Still the little handful of adventurers kept up their spir¬ 
its in their lonely fort at Astoria, looking forward to the 
time when they should be animated and reinforced by 
the party under Mr. Hunt, that was to come to them 
across the Bocky Mountains. 

The year gradually wore way. The rain, which had 
poured down almost incessantly since the first of Octo¬ 
ber, cleared up towards the evening of the 31st of De¬ 
cember, and the morning of the first of January ushered 
in a day of sunshine. 

The hereditary French holiday spirit of the French 
voyageurs is hardly to be depressed by any adversities; 
and they car manage to get up a fete in the most squalid 
situations, and under the most untoward circumstances. 
An extra allowance of rum, and a little flour to make 
cakes and puddings, constitute a “ regale; ” and they 
forget all their toils and troubles in the song and dance. 

On the present occasion, the partners endeavored to 
celebrate the new year with some effect. At sunrise the 
drums beat to arms, the colors were hoisted, with three 
rounds of small arms and three discharges of cannon. 


178 


ASTORIA. 


The day was devoted to games of agility and strength, 
and other amusements; and grog was temperately dis¬ 
tributed, together with bread, butter, and cheese. The 
best dinner their circumstances could afford was served 
up at midday. At sunset the colors were lowered, with 
another discharge of artillery. The night was spent in 
dancing; and, though there was a lack of female partners 
to excite their gallantry, the voyageurs kept up the ball 
with true French spirit, until three o’clock in the morn¬ 
ing. So passed the new year festival of 1812 at the in¬ 
fant colony of Astoria. 


CHAPTER Xin. 


EXPEDITION BY LAND.—WILSON P. HUNT.—HIS CHARACTER.—DONALD M’KEN* 
ZIE.—RECRUITING SERVICE AMONG THE VOYAGEURS.—A BARK CANOE.— 
CHAPEL OF ST. ANNE.—VOTIVE OFFERINGS.—PIOUS CAROUSALS.—A RAGGED 
REGIMENT.—MACKINAW.—PICTURE OF A TRADING POST.—FROLICKING 
VOYAGEURS.—SWELLS AND SWAGGERERS.—INDIAN COXCOMBS.—A MAN OF 
THE NORTH.—JOCKEYSHIP OF VOYAGEURS.—INEFFICACY OF GOLD.—WEIGHT 
OF A FEATHER.—MR. RAMSAY CROOKS.—HIS CHARACTER.—HIS RISKS 
AMONG THE INDIANS.—HIS WARNING CONCERNING SIOUX AND BLACKFEET. 
—EMBARKATION OF RECRUITS.—PARTING SCENES BETWEEN BROTHERS, 
COUSINS, WIVES, SWEETHEARTS, AND POT COMPANIONS. 


have followed up the fortunes of the maritime 
part of this enterprise to the shores of the 
Pacific, and have conducted the affairs of the 
embryo establishment to the opening of the new year; 
let us now turn back to the adventurous band to whom 
was intrusted the land expedition, and who were to make 
their way to the mouth of the Columbia, up vast rivers, 
across trackless plains, and over the rugged barriers of 
the Rocky Mountains. 

The conduct of this expedition, as has been already 
mentioned, was assigned to Mr. Wilson Price Hunt, of 
Trenton, New Jersey, one of the partners of the com¬ 
pany, who was ultimately to be at the head of the estab- 

179 







180 


ASTORIA. 


lishment at the mouth of the Columbia. He is repre¬ 
sented as a man scrupulously upright and faithful in his 
dealings, amicable in his disposition, and of most accom¬ 
modating manners; and his whole conduct will be found 
in unison with such a character. He was not practically 
experienced in the Indian trade; that is to say, he had 
never made any expeditions of traffic into the heart of 
the wilderness, but he had been engaged in commerce at 
St. Louis, then a frontier settlement on the Mississippi, 
where the chief branch of his business had consisted in 
furnishing Indian traders with goods and equipments. 
In this way, he had acquired much knowledge of the 
trade at second hand, and of the various tribes, and the 
interior country over which it extended. 

Another of the partners, Mr. Donald M’Kenzie, was 
associated with Mr. Hunt in the expedition, and excelled 
on those points in which the other was deficient; for he 
had been ten years in the interior, in the service of the 
Northwest Company, and valued himself on his knowl¬ 
edge of “woodcraft,” and the strategy of Indian trade 
and Indian warfare. He had a frame seasoned to toils 
and hardships; a spirit not to be intimidated, and was 
reputed to be a “ remarkable shot; ” which of itself was 
sufficient to give him renown upon the frontier. 

Mr Hunt and#his coadjutor repaired, about the latter 
part of July, 1810, to Montreal, the ancient emporium of 
the fur trade, where everything requisite for the expedi¬ 
tion could be procured. One of the first objects was to 


THE TRADERS' CANOE. 


181 


recruit a complement of Canadian voyageurs from the 
disbanded herd usually to be found loitering about the 
place. A degree of jockeyship, however, is required for 
this service, for a Canadian voyageur is as full of latent 
tricks and vice as a horse ; and when he makes the great¬ 
est external promise, is prone to prove the greatest 
“ take in.” Besides 4 the Northwest Company, who main¬ 
tained a long established control at Montreal, and knew 
the qualities of every voyageur, secretly interdicted the 
prime hands from engaging in this new service; so that, 
although liberal terms were offered, few presented them¬ 
selves but such as were not worth having. 

From these Mr. Hunt engaged a number sufficient, as 
he supposed, for present purposes; and, having laid in a 
supply of ammunition, provisions, and Indian goods, em¬ 
barked all on board one of those great canoes at that 
time universally used by the fur traders for navigating 
the intricate and often-obstructed rivers. The canoe was 
between thirty and forty feet long, and several feet in 
width; constructed of birch bark, sewed with fibres of 
the roots of the spruce tree, and daubed with resin of the 
pine, instead of tar. The cargo was made up in pack¬ 
ages, weighing from ninety to one hundred pounds each, 
for the facility of loading and unloading, and of transpor¬ 
tation at portages. The canoe itself, though capable of 
sustaining a freight of upwards of four tons, could read¬ 
ily be carried on men’s shoulders. Canoes of this size 
are generally managed by eight or ten men, two of whom 


182 


ASTORIA. 


are picked veterans, who receive double wages, and are 
stationed, one at the bow and tbe other at the stern, to 
keep a look-out and to steer. They are termed tbe fore¬ 
man and tbe steersman. Tbe rest, wbo ply tbe paddles, 
are called middle men. When there is a favorable breeze, 
tbe canoe is occasionally navigated with a sail. 

Tbe expedition took its regular departure, as usual, 
from St. Anne’s, near tbe extremity of tbe island of Mon¬ 
treal, tbe great starting-place of tbe traders to tbe in¬ 
terior. Here stood tbe ancient cbapel of St. Anne, tbe 
patroness of tbe Canadian voyageurs; where they made 
confession, and offered up their vows, previous to de¬ 
parting on any hazardous expedition. Tbe shrine of tbe 
saint was decorated with relics and votive offerings bung 
up by these superstitious beings, either to propitiate her 
favor, or in gratitude for some signal deliverance in tbe 
wilderness. It was tbe custom, too, of these devout 
vagabonds, after leaving tbe cbapel, to have a grand 
carouse, in honor of tbe saint and for tbe prosperity of 
tbe voyage. In this part of their devotions, tbe crew of 
Mr. Hunt proved themselves by no means deficient. In¬ 
deed, be soon discovered that bis recruits, enlisted at 
Montreal, were fit to vie with the ragged regiment of Fai- 
staff. Some were able-bodied, but inexpert; others were 
expert, but lazy; while a third class were expert and 
willing, but totally worn out, being broken-down veter¬ 
ans, incapable of toil. 

With this inefficient crew be made bis way up tbe 


MACKINAW. 


183 


Ottawa Biver, and by the ancient route of the fur trad¬ 
ers, along a succession of small lakes and rivers, to 
Michilimackinac. Their progress was slow and tedious. 
Mr. Hunt was not accustomed to the management of 
“ voyageurs,” and he had a crew admirably disposed to 
play the old soldier, and balk their work; and ever ready 
to come to a halt, land, make a fire, put on the great pot, 
and smoke, and gossip, and sing by the hour. 

It was not until the 22d of July that they arrived at 
Mackinaw, situated on the island of the same name, a< 
the confluence of lakes Huron and Michigan. This fa* 
mous old French trading-post continued to be a rallying 
point for a multifarious and motley population. The in¬ 
habitants were amphibious in their habits, most of them 
being, or having been voyageurs or canoe men. It was 
the great place of arrival and departure of the southwest 
fur trade. Here the Mackinaw Company had established 
its principal post, from whence it communicated with the 
interior and with Montreal. Hence its various traders 
and trappers set out for their respective destinations 
about Lake Superior and its tributary waters, or for the 
Mississippi, the Arkansas, the Missouri, and the other 
regions of the west. Here, after the absence of a year, or 
more, they returned with their peltries, and settled their 
accounts; the furs rendered in by them being transmitted 
in canoes from hence to Montreal. Mackinaw was, there¬ 
fore, for a great part of the year, very scantily peopled; 
but at certain seasons the traders arrived from all points, 


184 


ASTORIA . 


with their crews of yoyageurs, and the place swarmed 
like a hive. 

Mackinaw, at that time, was a mere village, stretching 
along a small bay, with a fine broad beach in front of its 
principal row of houses, and dominated by the old fort, 
which crowned an impending height. The beach was a 
kind of public promenade, where were displayed all the 
vagaries of a seaport on the arrival of a fleet from a long 
cruise. Here voyageurs frolicked away their wages, fid¬ 
dling and dancing in the booths and cabins, buying all 
kinds of knick-knacks, dressing themselves out finely, 
and parading up and down, like arrant braggarts and 
coxcombs. Sometimes they met with rival coxcombs in 
the young Indians from the opposite shore, who would 
appear on the beach painted and decorated in fantastic 
style, and would saunter up and down, to be gazed at and 
admired, perfectly satisfied that they eclipsed their pale- 
faced competitors. 

Now and then a chance party of “Northwesters” ap¬ 
peared at Mackinaw from the rendezvous at Fort Wil¬ 
liam. These held themselves up as the chivalry of the 
fur trade. They were men of iron; proof against cold 
weather, hard fare, and perils of all kinds. Some would 
wear the Northwest button, and a formidable dirk, and 
assume something of a military air. They generally 
wore feathers in their hats, and affected the “brave.” 
“Je suis un homme du nord! ”—“I am a man of the 
north,”—one of these swelling fellows would exclain^ 


DIFFICULTIES OF RECRUITING. 


185 


sticking his arms akimbo and ruffling by the Southwest- 
ers, whom he regarded with great contempt, as men soft¬ 
ened by mild climates and the luxurious fare of bread 
and bacon, and whom he stigmatized with the inglorious 
name of pork-eaters. The superiority assumed by these 
vainglorious swaggerers was, in general, tacitly admitted. 
Indeed, some of them had acquired great notoriety for 
deeds of hardihood and courage; for the fur trade had 
its heroes, whose names resounded throughout the wil¬ 
derness. 

Such was Mackinaw at the time of which we are treats 
ing. It now, doubtless, presents a totally different as¬ 
pect. The fur companies no longer assemble there; the 
navigation of the lakes is carried on by steamboats and 
various shipping, and the race of traders, and trappers, 
and voyageurs, and Indian dandies, have vapored out 
their brief hour and disappeared. Such changes does 
the lapse of a handful of years make in this ever-chang¬ 
ing country. 

At this place Mr. Hunt remained for some time, to 
complete his assortment of Indian goods, and to increase 
his number of voyageurs, as well as to engage some of a 
more efficient character than those enlisted at Montreal. 

And now commenced another game of jockeyship. 
There were able and efficient men in abundance at Macki¬ 
naw, but for several days not one presented himself. If 
offers were made to any, they were listened to with a 
shake of the head. Should any one seem inclined to en- 


186 


ASTORIA. 


list, there were officious idlers and busybodies, of that 
class who are ever ready to dissuade others from any 
enterprise in which they themselves have no concern 
These would pull him by the sleeve, take him on one 
side, and murmur in his ear, or would suggest difficulties 
outright. 

It was objected that the expedition would have to 
navigate unknown rivers, and pass through howling wil¬ 
dernesses infested by savage tribes, who had already cut 
off the unfortunate voyageurs that had ventured among 
them; that it was to climb the Rocky Mountains and 
descend into desolate and famished regions, where the 
traveller was often obliged to subsist on grasshoppers 
and crickets, or to kill his own horse for food. 

At length one man was hardy enough to engage, and 
he was used like a “ stool-pigeon,” to decoy others ; but 
several days elapsed before any more could be prevailed 
upon to join him. A few then came to terms. It was 
desirable to engage them for five years, but some refused 
to engage for more than three. Then they must have 
part of their pay in advance, which was readily granted. 
When they had pocketed the amount, and squandered it 
in regales or in outfits, they began to talk of pecuniary 
obligations at Mackinaw, which must be discharged 
before they would be free to depart; or engagements 
with other persons, which were only to be canceled by a 
“ reasonable consideration.” 

It was in vain to argue or remonstrate. The money 


WEIGHT OF A FEATHER. 


187 


advanced had already been sacked and spent, and must 
be lost and the recruits left behind, unless they could be 
freed from their debts and engagements. Accordingly, a 
fine was paid for one ; a judgment for another; a tavern 
bill for a third, and almost all had to be bought off from 
some prior engagement, either real or pretended. 

Mr. Hunt groaned in spirit at the incessant and unrea¬ 
sonable demands of these worthies upon his purse; yet 
with all this outlay of funds, the number recruited was 
but scanty, and many of the most desirable still held 
themselves aloof, and were not to be caught by a golden 
bait. "With these he tried another temptation. Among 
the recruits who had enlisted he distributed feathers and 
ostrich plumes. These they put in their hats, and thus 
figured about Mackinaw, assuming airs of vast impor¬ 
tance, as “ voyageurs ” in a new company, that was to 
eclipse the Northwest. The effect was complete. A 
French Canadian is too vain and mercurial a being to 
withstand the finery and ostentation of the feather. 
Numbers immediately pressed into the service. One 
must have an ostrich plume; another, a white feather 
with a red end; a third, a bunch of cocks’ tails. Thus 
all paraded about, in vainglorious style, more delighted 
with the feathers in their hats than with the money in 
their pockets ; and considering themselves fully equal to 
the boastful “men of the north.” 

While thus recruiting the number of rank and file, Mr. 
Hunt was joined by a person whom he had invited, by 


188 


ASTORIA. 


letter, to engage as a partner in the expedition. This 
was Mr. Ramsay Crooks, a young man, a native of Scot¬ 
land, who had served under the Northwest Company, and 
been engaged in trading expeditions upon his individual 
account, among the tribes of the Missouri. Mr. Hunt 
knew him personally, and had conceived a high and mer¬ 
ited opinion of his judgment, enterprise, and integrity; 
he was rejoiced, therefore, when the latter consented to 
accompany him. Mr. Crooks, however, drew from expe¬ 
rience a picture of the dangers to which they would be 
subjected, and urged the importance of going with a con¬ 
siderable force. In ascending the upper Missouri they 
would have to pass through the country of the Sioux 
Indians, who had manifested repeated hostility to the 
white traders, and rendered their expeditions extremely 
perilous; firing upon them from the river banks as they 
passed beneath in their boats, and attacking them in 
their encampments. Mr. Crooks himself, when voyaging 
in company with another trader of the name of M’Lellan, 
had been interrupted by these marauders, and had con¬ 
sidered himself fortunate in escaping down the river 
without loss of life or property, but with a total aban¬ 
donment of his trading voyage. 

Should they be fortunate enough to pass through the 
country of the Sioux without molestation, they would 
have another tribe still more savage and warlike beyond, 
and deadly foes of the white men. 

These were the Blackfeet Indians, who ranged over a 


EMBARKATION OF CANADIAN VOYAOEURS. 189 

wide extent of country which they would have to trav¬ 
erse. Under all these circumstances, it was thought 
advisable to augment the party considerably. It already 
exceeded the number of thirty, to which it had originally 
been limited; but it was determined, on arriving at Si 
Louis, to increase it to the number of sixty. 

These matters being arranged, they prepared to em¬ 
bark ; but the embarkation of a crew of Canadian voy- 
ageurs, on a distant expedition, is not so easy a matter 
as might be imagined; especially of such a set of vain¬ 
glorious fellows with money in both pockets, and cocks’ 
tails in their hats. Like sailors, the Canadian voyageurs 
generally preface a long cruise with a carouse. They 
have their cronies, their brothers, their cousins, their 
wives, their sweethearts, all to be entertained at their 
expense. They feast, they fiddle, they drink, they sing, 
they dance, they frolic and fight, until they are all as mad 
as so many drunken Indians. The publicans are all 
obedience to their commands, never hesitating to let 
them run up scores without limit, knowing that, when 
their own money is expended, the purses of their em¬ 
ployers must answer for the bill, or the voyage must be 
delayed. Neither was it possible, at that time, to remedy 
the matter at Mackinaw. In that amphibious community 
there was always a propensity to wrest the laws in favor 
of riotous or mutinous boatmen. It was necessary, also, 
to keep the recruits in good humor, seeing the novelty 
and danger of the service into which they were entering. 


190 


ASTORIA. 


and the ease with which they might at any time escape 
it, by jumping into a canoe and going down the stream. 

Such were the scenes that beset Mr. Hunt, and gave 
him a foretaste of the difficulties of his command. The 
little cabarets and sutlers’ shops along the bay resounded 
with the scraping of fiddles, with snatches of old French 
songs, with Indian whoops and yells, while every plumed 
and feathered vagabond had his troop of loving cousins 
and comrades at his heels. It was with the utmost 
difficulty they could be extricated from the clutches of 
the publicans and the embraces of their pot companions, 
who followed them to the water’s edge with many a hug, 
a kiss on each cheek, and a maudlin benediction in Cana¬ 
dian French. 

It was about the 12th of August that they left Mack¬ 
inaw, and pursued the usual route by Green Bay, Fox and 
Wisconsin rivers, to Prairie du Chien, and thence down 
the Mississippi to St. Louis, where they landed on the 
3d of September. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


ST. LOUIS.—ITS SITUATION.—MOTLEY POPULATION.—FRENCH CREOLJS TRADERS 
AND THEIR DEPENDANTS.—MISSOURI FUR COMPANY.—MR. MANUEL LISA.— 
MISSISSIPPI BOATMEN.—VAGRANT INDIANS.—KENTUCKY HUNTERS.—OLD 
FRENCH MANSION.—FIDDLING.—BILLIARDS.—MR. JOSEPH MILLER.—HIS 
CHARACTER.—RECRUITS.—VOYAGE UP THE MISSOURI.—DIFFICULTIES OF 
THE RIVER.—MERITS OF CANADIAN VOYAGEURS.—ARRIVAL AT THE NO- 
DOWA.—MR. ROBERT M’LELLAN JOINS THE PARTY.—JOHN DAY, A VIRGINIA 
HUNTER.—DESCRIPTION OF HIM.—MR. HUNT RETURNS TO ST. LOUIS. 

l. LOUIS, which is situated on the right bank 
of the Mississippi River, a few miles below the 
mouth of the Missouri, was, at that time, a 
frontier settlement, and the last fifcting-out place for the 
Indian trade of the Southwest. It possessed a motley 
population, composed of the creole descendants of the 
original French colonists; the keen traders from the 
Atlantic States; the backwoodsmen of Kentucky and 
Tennessee; the Indians and half-breeds of the prairies; 
together with a singular aquatic race that had grown up 
from the navigation of the rivers—the “ boatmen of the 
Mississippi;” who possessed habits, manners, and al¬ 
most a language, peculiarly their own, and strongly tech¬ 
nical. They, at that time, were extremely numerous, and 

191 



I 












192 


ASTORIA. 


conducted the chief navigation and commerce of the Ohio 
and the Mississippi, as the voyageurs did of the Cana¬ 
dian waters; but, like them, their consequence and char¬ 
acteristics are rapidly vanishing before the all-pervading 
intrusion of steamboats. 

The old French houses engaged in the Indian trade 
had gathered round them a train of dependants, mongrel 
Indians, and mongrel Frenchmen, who had intermarried 
with Indians. These they employed in their various 
expeditions by land and water. Various individuals of 
other countries had, of late years, pushed the trade fur¬ 
ther into the interior, to the upper waters of the Mis¬ 
souri, and had swelled the number of these hangers-on. 
Several of these traders had, two or three years previ¬ 
ously, formed themselves into a company, composed of 
twelve partners, with a capital of about forty thousand 
dollars, called the Missouri Fur Company; the object of 
which was, to establish posts along the upper part of 
that river, and monopolize the trade. The leading part¬ 
ner of this company was Mr. Manuel Lisa, a Spaniard by 
birth, and a man of bold and enterprising character, who 
had ascended the Missouri almost to its source, and 
made himself well acquainted and popular with several 
of its tribes. By his exertions, trading posts had been 
established, in 1808, in the Sioux country, and among the 
Aricara and Mandan tribes; and a principal one, under 
Mr. Henry, one of the partners, at the forks of the Mis¬ 
souri. This company had in its employ about two hun- 


ST. LOUIS.—ANOTHER ADDITION. 


193 


dred and fifty men, partly American hunters, and partly 
creoles and Canadian voyageurs. 

All these circumstances combined to produce a popu¬ 
lation at St. Louis even still more motley than that at 
Mackinaw. Here were to be seen, about the river banks, 
the hectoring, extravagant, bragging boatmen of the 
Mississippi, with the gay, grimacing, singing, good- 
humored Canadian voyageurs. Vagrant Indians, of vari¬ 
ous tribes, loitered about the streets. Now and then a 
stark Kentucky hunter, in leathern hunting-dress, with 
rifle on shoulder and knife in belt, strode along. Here 
and there were new brick houses and shops, just set up 
by bustling, driving, and eager men of traffic from the 
Atlantic States ; while, on the other hand, the old French 
mansions, "with open casements, still retained the easy, 
indolent air of the original colonists; and now and then 
the scraping of a fiddle, a strain of an ancient French 
song, or the sound of billiard balls, showed that the 
happy Gallic turn for gayety and amusement still lin¬ 
gered about the place. 

Such was St. Louis at the time of Mr. Hunt’s arrival 
there, and the appearance of a new fur company, with 
ample funds at its command, produced a strong sensation 
among the Indian traders of the place, and awakened 
keen jealousy and opposition on the part of the Missouri 
Company. Mr. Hunt proceeded to strengthen himself 
against all competition. For this purpose, he secured to 
the interests of the association another of those enter- 
13 


194 


ASTORIA. 


prising men, who had been engaged in individual traffic 
with the tribes of the Missouri. This was a Mr. Joseph 
Miller, a gentleman well educated and well informed, and 
of a respectable family of Baltimore. He had been an 
officer in the army of the United States, but had resigned 
in disgust, on being refused a furlough, and had taken to 
trapping beaver and trading among the Indians. He was 
easily induced by Mr. Hunt to join as a partner, and was 
considered by him, on account of his education and ac¬ 
quirements, and his experience in Indian trade, a valu¬ 
able addition to the company. 

Several additional men were likewise enlisted at St. 
Louis, some as boatmen, and others as hunters. These 
last were engaged, not merely to kill game for provisions, 
but also, and indeed chiefly, to trap beaver and other 
animals of rich furs, valuable in the trade. They en¬ 
listed on different terms. Some were to have a fixed 
salary of three hundred dollars ; others were to be fitted 
out and maintained at the expense of the company, and 
were to hunt and trap on shares. 

As Mr. Hunt met with much opposition on the part of 
rival traders, especially the Missouri Fur Company, it 
took him some weeks to complete his preparations. The 
delays which he had previously experienced at Montreal, 
Mackinaw, and on the way, added to those at St. Louis, 
had thrown him much behind his original calculations, 
so that it would be impossible to effect his voyage up the 
Missouri in the present year. This river, flowing from 


NAVIGATING THE MIS SO URI. 


195 


high and cold latitudes, and through wide and open 
plains, exposed to chilling blasts, freezes early. The 
winter may be dated from the first of November; there 
was every prospect, therefore, that it would be closed 
with ice long before Mr. Hunt could reach its upper 
waters. To avoid, however, the expense of wintering at 
St. Louis, he determined to push up the river as far as 
possible, to some point above the settlements, where 
game was plenty, and where his whole party could be 
subsisted by hunting, until the breaking up of the ice in 
the spring should permit them to resume their voyage. 

Accordingly on the twenty-first of October he took his 
departure from St. Louis. His party was distributed in 
three boats. One was the barge which he had brought 
from Mackinaw; another was of a larger size, such as 
was formerly used in navigating the Mohawk Eiver, and 
known by the generic name of the Schenectady barge; 
the other was a large keel boat, at that time the grand 
conveyance on the Mississippi. 

In this way they set out from St. Louis, in buoyant 
spirits, and soon arrived at the mouth of the Missouri. 
This vast river, three thousand miles in length, and 
which, with its tributary streams, drains such an im¬ 
mense extent of country, was as yet but casually and im¬ 
perfectly navigated by the adventurous bark of the fur 
trader. A steamboat had never yet stemmed its turbu¬ 
lent current. Sails were but of casual assistance, for it 
required a strong wind to conquer the force of the 


196 


ASTORIA . 


stream. The main dependence was on bodily strength 
and manual dexterity. The boats, in general, had to be 
propelled by oars and setting poles, or drawn by the 
hand and by grappling hooks from one root or overhang¬ 
ing tree to another; or towed by the long cordelle, or 
towing line, where the shores were sufficiently clear of 
woods and thickets to permit the men to pass along the 
banks. 

During this slow and tedious progress the boat would 
be exposed to frequent danger from floating trees and 
great masses of drift-wood, or to be impaled upon snags 
and sawyers; that is to say, sunken trees, presenting a 
jagged or pointed end above the surface of the water. 
As the channel of the river frequently shifted from side 
to side according to the bends and sand-banks, the boat 
had, in the same way, to advance in a zigzag course. 
Often a part of the crew would have to leap into the 
water at the shallows, and wade along with the towing 
line, while their comrades on board toilfully assisted 
with oar and setting pole. Sometimes the boat would 
seem to be retained motionless, as if spell-bound, oppo¬ 
site some point round which the current set with vio¬ 
lence, and where the utmost labor scarce effected any 
visible progress. 

On these occasions it was that the merits of the Cana¬ 
dian voyageurs came into full action. Patient of toil, not 
to be disheartened by impediments and disappointments, 
fertile in expedients, and versed in every mode of humor- 


MORE ADDITIONS TO THE PARTY. 


197 


Ing and conquering the wayward current, they would ply 
every exertion, sometimes in the boat, sometimes on 
shore, sometimes in the water, however cold; always 
alert, always in good humor; and, should they at any 
time flag or grow weary, one of their popular boat songs, 
chanted by a veteran oarsman, and responded to in 
chorus, acted as a never-failing restorative. 

By such assiduous and persevering labor they made 
their way about four hundred and fifty miles up the 
Missouri, by the 16th of November, to the mouth of the 
Nodowa. As this was a good hunting country, and as the 
season was rapidly advancing, they determined to estab¬ 
lish their winter quarters at this place; and, in fact, two 
days after they had come to a halt, the river closed just 
above their encampment. 

The party had not been long at this place when they 
were joined by Mr. Robert M’Lellan, another trader of 
the Missouri; the same who had been associated with 
Mr. Crooks in the unfortunate expedition in which they 
had been intercepted by the Sioux Indians, and obliged 
to make a rapid retreat down the river. 

M’Lellan was a remarkable man. He had been a par¬ 
tisan under General Wayne, in his Indian wars, where he 
had distinguished himself by his fiery spirit and reckless 
daring, and marvelous stories were told of his exploits. 
His appearance answered to his character. His frame 
was meagre, but muscular; showing strength, activity, 
and iron firmness. His eyes were dark, deep-set, and 


198 


ASTORIA . 


piercing. He was restless, fearless, but of impetuous and 
sometimes ungovernable temper. He bad been invited 
by Mr. Hunt to enroll himself as a partner, and gladly 
consented; being pleased with the thoughts of passing 
with a powerful force through the country of the Sioux, 
and perhaps having an opportunity of revenging himself 
upon that lawless tribe for their past offenses. 

Another recruit that joined the camp at Nodowa de¬ 
serves equal mention. This was John Day, a hunter 
from the backwoods of Virginia, who had been several 
years on the Missouri in the service of Mr. Crooks, and 
of other traders. He was about forty years of age, six 
feet two inches high, straight as an Indian; with an 
elastic step as if he trod on springs, and a handsome, 
open, manly countenance. It was his boast that, in his 
younger days, nothing could hurt or daunt him; but he 
had “ lived too fast,” and injured his constitution by his 
excesses. Still he was strong of hand, bold of heart, a 
prime woodman, and an almost unerring shot. He had 
the frank spirit of a Virginian, and the rough heroism of 
a pioneer of the west. 

The party were now brought to a halt for several 
months. They were in a country abounding with deer 
and wild turkeys, so that there was no stint of provi¬ 
sions, and every one appeared cheerful and contented. 
Mr. Hunt determined to avail himself of this interval to 
return to St. Louis and obtain a reinforcement He 
wished to procure an interpreter, acquainted with the 


HUNT S ARRIVAL AT ST. LOUIS. 199 

language of the Sioux, as, from all accounts, he appre¬ 
hended difficulties in passing through the country of that 
nation. He felt the necessity, also, of having a greater 
number of hunters, not merely to keep up a supply of 
provisions throughout their long and arduous expedition, 
but also as a protection and defense, in case of Indian 
hostilities. For such service the Canadian voyageurs 
were little to be depended upon, fighting not being a part 
of their profession. The proper kind of men were Amer¬ 
ican hunters, experienced in savage life and savage war¬ 
fare, and possessed of the true game spirit of the west. 

Leaving, therefore, the encampment in charge of the 
other partners, Mr. Hunt set off on foot on the first of 
January (1810), for St. Louis. He was accompanied by 
eight men as far as Fort Osage, about one hundred and 
fifty miles below Nodowa. Here he procured a couple of 
horses, and proceeded on the remainder of his journey 
with two men, sending the other six back to the encamp¬ 
ment He arrived at St Louis on the 20th of January. 


CHAPTER XV. 


OPPOSITION OF THE MISSOURI FUR COMPANY.—BLACKFEET INDIANS.—P TERRS' 
DORION, A HALF-BREED INTERPRETER.—OLD DORION AND HIS HYBRID PROG¬ 
ENY.—FAMILY QUARRELS.—CROSS PURPOSES BETWEEN DORION AND LISA.— 
RENEGADOES FROM NODOWA.—PERPLEXITIES OF A COMMANDER.—MESSRS. 
BRADBURY AND NUTTALL JOIN THE EXPEDITION.—LEGAL EMBARRASSMENTS 
OF PIERRE DORION.—DEPARTURE FROM ST. LOUIS.—CONJUGAL DISCIPLINE 
OF A HALF-BREED.—ANNUAL SWELLING OF THE RIVERS.—DANIEL BOONE, 
THE PATRIARCH OF KENTUCKY.—JOHN COLTER.—HIS ADVENTURES AMONG 
THE INDIANS.—RUMORS OF DANGER AHEAD.—FORT OSAGE.—AN INDIAN 
WAR-FEAST.—TROUBLES IN THE DORION FAMILY.—BUFFALOES AND TURKEY- 
BUZZARDS. 


this his second visit to St. Louis, Mr. Hunt 
as again impeded in his plans by the opposi- 
on of the Missouri Fur Company. The affairs 
of that company were, at this time, in a very dubious 
state. During the preceding year, their principal estab¬ 
lishment at the forks of the Missouri had been so much 
harassed by the Blackfeet Indians, that its commander, 
Mr. Henry, one of the partners, had been compelled to 
abandon the post and cross the Rocky Mountains, with 
the intention of fixing himself upon one of the upper 
branches of the Columbia. What had become of him 
and his party was unknown. The most intense anxiety 



200 











PIERRE DORION. 


201 


was felt concerning them, and apprehensions that they 
might have been cut off by the savages. At the time of 
Mr. Hunt’s arrival at St. Louis, the Missouri Company 
were fitting out an expedition to go in quest of Mr. 
Henry. It was to be conducted by Mr. Manuel Lisa, the 
enterprising partner already mentioned. 

There being thus two expeditions on foot at the same 
moment, an unusual demand was occasioned for hunters 
and voyageurs, who accordingly profited by the circum¬ 
stance, and stipulated for high terms. Mr. Hunt found 
a keen and subtle competitor in Lisa, and was obliged to 
secure his recruits by liberal advances of pay, and by 
other pecuniary indulgences. 

The greatest difficulty was to procure the Sioux inter¬ 
preter. There was but one man to be met with at St. 
Louis who was fitted for the purpose, but to secure him 
would require much management. The individual in 
question was a half-breed, named Pierre Dorion; and, as 
he figures hereafter in this narrative, and is, withal, a 
striking specimen of the hybrid race on the frontier, we 
shall give a few particulars concerning him. Pierre was 
the son of Dorion, the French interpreter, who accom¬ 
panied Messrs. Lewis and Clarke in their famous ex¬ 
ploring expedition across the Rocky Mountains. Old 
Dorion was one of those French creoles, descendants of 
the ancient Canadian stock, who abound on the western 
frontier, and amalgamate or cohabit with the savages. 
He had sojourned among various tribes, and perhaps left 


202 


ASTORIA . 


progeny among them all; but his regular, or habitual 
wife, was a Sioux squaw. By her he had a hopeful brood 
of half-breed sons, of whom Pierre was one. The do¬ 
mestic affairs of old Dorion were conducted on the true 
Indian plan. Father and sons would occasionally get 
drunk together, and then the cabin was a scene of ruffian 
brawl and fighting, in the course of which the old 
Frenchman was apt to get soundly belabored by his 
mongrel offspring. In a furious scuffle of the kind, one 
of the sons got the old man upon the ground, and was 
upon the point of scalping him. “ Hold ! my son,” cried 
the old fellow, in imploring accents, “ you are too brave, 
too honorable to scalp your father ! ” This last appeal 
touched the French side of the half-breed’s heart, so he 
suffered the old man to wear his scalp unharmed. 

Of this hopeful stock was Pierre Dorion, the man 
whom it was now the desire of Mr. Hunt to engage as an 
interpreter. He had been employed in that capacity by 
the Missouri Fur Company during the preceding year, 
and conducted their traders in safety through the differ¬ 
ent tribes of the Sioux. He had proved himself faithful 
and serviceable while sober; but the love of liquor, in 
which he had been nurtured and brought up, would occa¬ 
sionally break out, and with it the savage side of his 
character. 

It was his love of liquor which had embroiled him with 
the Missouri Company. While in their service at Fort 
Mandan, on the frontier, he had been seized with a whis- 


DISAFFECTION AND DESERTION. 


203 


key mania; and, as the beverage was only to be procured 
at the company’s store, it had been charged in his ac¬ 
count at the rate of ten dollars a quart. This item had 
ever remained unsettled, and a matter of furious dispute, 
the mere mention of which was sufficient to put him in a 
passion. 

The moment it was discovered by Mr. Lisa that Pierre 
Dorion was in treaty with the new and rival association, 
he endeavored, by threats as well as promises, to prevent 
his engaging in their service. His promises might, per¬ 
haps, have prevailed; but his threats, which related to 
the whiskey debt, only served to drive Pierre into the 
opposite ranks. Still he took advantage of this compe¬ 
tition for his services to stand out with Mr. Hunt on the 
most advantageous terms, and, after a negotiation of 
nearly two weeks, capitulated to serve in the expedition, 
as hunter and interpreter, at the rate of three hundred 
dollars a year, two hundred of which were to be paid in 
advance. 

When Mr. Hunt had got everything ready for leaving 
St. Louis, new difficulties arose. Five of the American 
hunters from the encampment at Nodowa, suddenly 
made their appearance. They alleged that they had been 
ill treated by the partners at the encampment, and had 
come off clandestinely, in consequence of a dispute. It 
was useless at the present moment, and under present 
circumstances, to attempt any compulsory measures with 
these deserters. Two of them Mr. Hunt prevailed upon, 


204 


ASTORIA 


by mild means, to return with him. The rest refused; 
nay, what was worse, they spread such reports of the 
hardships and dangers to be apprehended in the course 
of the expedition, that they struck a panic into those 
hunters who had recently engaged at St. Louis, and, 
when the hour of departure arrived, all but one refused 
to embark. It was in vain to plead or remonstrate ; they 
shouldered their rifles and turned their backs upon the 
expedition, and Mr. Hunt was fain to put off from shore 
with the single hunter and a number of voyageurs whom 
he had engaged. Even Pierre Dorion, at the last mo¬ 
ment, refused to enter the boat until Mr. Hunt consented 
to take his squaw and two children on board also. But 
the tissue of perplexities, on account of this worthy indi¬ 
vidual, did not end here. 

Among the various persons who were about to proceed 
up the Missouri with Mr. Hunt, were two scientific gen¬ 
tlemen : one Mr. John Bradbury, a man of mature age, 
but great enterprise and personal activity, who had been 
sent out by the Linnsean Society of Liverpool to make a 
collection of American plants; the other, a Mr. Nuttall, 
likewise an Englishman, younger in years, who has since 
made himself known as the author of “ Travels in Arkan¬ 
sas,” and a work on the “Genera of American Plants.” 
Mr. Hunt had offered them the protection and facilities 
of his party, in their scientific researches up the Mis¬ 
souri. As they were not ready to depart at the moment 
of embarkation, they put their trunks on board of the 


LEGAL EMBARRASSMENTS OF PIERRE DO RIO N. 205 

boat, but remained at St. Louis until the next day, for 
the arrival of the post, intending to join the expedition 
at St. Charles, a short distance above the mouth of the 
Missouri. 

The same evening, however, they learned that a writ 
had been issued against Pierre Dorion for his whiskey 
debt, by Mr. Lisa, as agent of the Missouri Company, and 
that it was the intention to entrap the mongrel linguist 
on his arrival at St. Charles. Upon hearing this, Mr. 
Bradbury and Mr. Nuttall set off a little after midnight, 
by land, got ahead of the boat as it was ascending the 
Missouri, before its arrival at St. Charles, and gave 
Pierre Dorion warning of the legal toil prepared to en¬ 
snare him. The knowing Pierre immediately landed and 
took to the woods, followed by his squaw laden with 
their papooses, and a large bundle containing their most 
precious effects, promising to rejoin the party some dis¬ 
tance above St. Charles. There seemed little dependence 
to be placed upon the promises of a loose adventurer of 
the kind, who was at the very time playing an evasive 
game with his former employers; who had already re¬ 
ceived two-thirds of his year’s pay, and his rifle on his 
shoulder, his family and worldly fortune at his heels, and 
the wild woods before him. There was no alternative, 
however, and it was hoped his pique against his old em¬ 
ployers would render him faithful to his new ones. 

The party reached St. Charles in the afternoon, but the 
harpies of the law looked in vain for their expected prey. 


206 


ASTORIA. 


The boats resumed their course on the following morning, 
and had not proceeded far when Pierre Dorion made his 
appearance on the shore. He was gladly taken on board, 
but he came without his squaw. They had quarreled in 
the night; Pierre had administered the Indian discipline 
of the cudgel, whereupon she had taken to the woods, 
with their children and all their worldly goods. Pierre 
evidently was deeply grieved and disconcerted at the loss 
of his wife and his knapsack, whereupon Mr. Hunt de¬ 
spatched one of the Canadian voyageurs in search of the 
fugitive; and the whole party, after proceeding a few 
miles further, encamped on an island to wait his return. 
The Canadian rejoined the party, but without the squaw; 
and Pierre Dorion passed a solitary and anxious night, 
bitterly regretting his indiscretion in having exercised 
his conjugal authority so near home. Before daybreak, 
however, a well-known voice reached his ears from the 
opposite shore. It was his repentant spouse, who had 
been wandering the woods all night in quest of the party, 
and had at length descried it by its fires. A boat was 
despatched for her, the interesting family was once more 
united, and Mr. Hunt now flattered himself that his per¬ 
plexities with Pierre Dorion were at an end. 

Bad weather, very heavy rains, and an unusually early 
rise in the Missouri, rendered the ascent of the river toil¬ 
some, slow, and dangerous. The rise of the Missouri 
does not generally take place until the month of May or 
June: the present swelling of the river must have been 


DANIEL BOONE. 


207 


caused by a freshet in some of its more southern 
branches. It could not have been the great annual flood, 
as the higher branches must still have been ice-bound. 

And here we cannot but pause, to notice the admirable 
arrangement of nature, by which the annual swellings of 
the various great rivers which empty themselves into the 
Mississippi, have been made to precede each other at 
considerable intervals. Thus, the flood of the Red River 
precedes that of the Arkansas by a month. The Arkan¬ 
sas, also, rising in a much more southern latitude than 
the Missouri, takes the lead of it in its annual excess, 
and its superabundant waters are disgorged and disposed 
of long before the breaking up of the icy barriers of the 
north; otherwise, did all these mighty streams rise 
simultaneously, and discharge their vernal floods into 
the Mississippi, an inundation would be the conse¬ 
quence, that would submerge and devastate all the lower 
country. 

On the afternoon of the third day, January 17th, the 
boats touched at Charette, one of the old villages founded 
by the original French colonists. Here they met with 
Daniel Boone, the renowned patriarch of Kentucky, who 
had kept in the advance of civilization, and on the bor¬ 
ders of the wilderness, still leading a hunter’s life, though 
now in his eighty-fifth year. He had but recently re¬ 
turned from a hunting and trapping expedition, and had 
brought nearly sixty beaver skins as trophies of his skill. 
The old man was still erect in form, strong in limb, and 


208 


ASTORIA. 


unflinching in spirit, and as he stood on the river bank, 
watching the departure of an expedition destined to trav¬ 
erse the wilderness to the very shores of the Pacific, very 
probably felt a throb of his old pioneer spirit, impelling 
him to shoulder his rifle and join the adventurous band. 
Boone flourished several years after this meeting, in a 
vigorous old age, the Nestor of hunters and backwoods¬ 
men ; and died, full of sylvan honor and renown, in 1818, 
in his ninety-second year. 

The next morning early, as the party were yet en¬ 
camped at the mouth of a small stream, they were visited 
by another of these heroes of the wilderness, one John 
Colter, who had accompanied Lewis and Clarke in their 
memorable expedition. He had recently made one of 
those vast internal voyages so characteristic of this fear¬ 
less class of men, and of the immense regions over which 
they hold their lonely wanderings; having come from 
the head waters of the Missouri to St. Louis in a small 
canoe. This distance of three thousand miles he had 
accomplished in thirty days. Colter kept with the party 
all the morning. He had many particulars to give them 
concerning the Blackfeet Indians, a restless and preda¬ 
tory tribe, who had conceived an implacable hostility to 
the white men, in consequence of one of their warriors 
having been killed by Captain Lewis, while attempting 
to steal horses. Through the country infested by these 
savages the expedition would have to proceed, and Colter 
was urgent in reiterating the precautions that ought to 


AFFRAY WITH TEE BLACKFEET. 


209 


be observed respecting them. He bad bimself experi¬ 
enced their vindictive cruelty, and his story deserves 
particular citation, as showing the hairbreadth adven¬ 
tures to which these solitary rovers of the wilderness are 
exposed. 

Colter, with the hardihood of a regular trapper, had 
cast himself loose from the party of Lewis and Clarke in 
the very heart of the wilderness, and had remained to 
trap beaver alone on the head waters of the Missouri. 
Here he fell in with another lonely trapper, like himself, 
named Potts, and they agreed to keep together. They 
were in the very region of the terrible Blackfeet, at that 
time thirsting to revenge the death of their companion, 
and knew that they had to expect no mercy at their 
hands. They were obliged to keep concealed all day in 
the woody margins of the rivers, setting their traps after 
nightfall and taking them up before daybreak. It was 
running a fearful risk for the sake of a few beaver skins; 
but such is the life of the trapper. 

They were on a branch of the Missouri called Jeffer¬ 
son Fork, and had set their traps at night, about six 
miles up a small river that emptied into the fork. Early 
in the morning they ascended the river in a canoe, to 
examine the traps. The banks on each side were high 
and perpendicular, and cast a shade over the stream. As 
they were softly paddling along, they heard the tram¬ 
pling of many feet upon the banks. Colter immediately 
gave the alarm of “ Indians ! ” and was for instant retreat 
14 


210 


ASTORIA . 


Potts scoffed at him for being frightened by the tram¬ 
pling of a herd of buffaloes. Colter checked his uneasi¬ 
ness and paddled forward. They had not gone much 
further when frightful whoops and yells burst forth from 
each side of the river, and several hundred Indians ap¬ 
peared on either bank. Signs were made to the unfortu¬ 
nate trappers to come on shore. They were obliged to 
comply. Before they could get out of their canoe, a 
savage seized the rifle belonging to Potts. Colter sprang 
on shore, wrested the weapon from the hands of the 
Indian, and restored it to his companion, who was still 
in the canoe, and immediately pushed into the stream. 
There was the sharp twang of a bow, and Potts cried out 
that he was wounded. Colter urged him to come on 
shore and submit, as his only chance for life; but the 
other knew there was no prospect of mercy, and deter¬ 
mined to die game. Leveling his rifle, he shot one of the 
savages dead on the spot. The next moment he fell him¬ 
self, pierced with innumerable arrows. 

The vengeance of the savages now turned upon Colter. 
He was stripped naked, and, having some knowledge of 
the Blackfoot language, overheard a consultation as to 
the mode of despatching him, so as to derive the greatest 
amusement from his death. Some were for setting him 
up as a mark, and having a trial of skill at his expense. 
The chief, however, was for nobler sport. He seized 
Colter by the shoulder, and demanded if he could run 
fast. The unfortunate trapper was too well acquainted 


A RUN FOR LIFE. 


211 


with Indian customs not to comprehend the drift of the 
question. He knew he was to run for his life, to furnish 
a kind of human hunt to his persecutors. Though in 
reality he was noted among his brother hunters for swift¬ 
ness of foot, he assured the chief that he was a very bad 
runner. His stratagem gained him some vantage ground. 
He was led by the chief into the prairie, about four hun¬ 
dred yards from the main body of savages, and then 
turned loose to save himself if he could. A tremendous 
yell let him know that the whole pack of bloodhounds 
were off in full cry. Colter flew rather than ran; he was 
astonished at his own speed; but he had six miles of 
prairie to traverse before he should reach the Jefferson 
Fork of the Missouri; how could he hope to hold out 
such a distance with the fearful odds of several hundred 
to one against him ! The plain, too, abounded with the 
prickly pear, which wounded his naked feet. Still he fled 
on, dreading each moment to hear the twang of a bow, 
and to feel an arrow quivering at his heart. He did not 
even dare to look round, lest he should lose an inch of 
that distance on which his life depended. He had run 
nearly half way across the plain when the sound of pur¬ 
suit grew somewhat fainter, and he ventured to turn his 
head The main body of his pursuers were a consider¬ 
able distance behind ; several of the fastest runners were 
scattered in the advance; while a swift-footed warrior, 
armed with a spear, was not more than a hundred yards 
behind him. 


212 


ASTORIA . 


Inspired with new hope, Colter redoubled his exer¬ 
tions, but strained himself to such a degree, that the 
blood gushed from his mouth and nostrils, and streamed 
down his breast. He arrived within a mile of the river. 
The sound of footsteps gathered upon him. A glance 
behind showed his pursuer within twenty yards, and pre¬ 
paring to launch his spear. Stopping short he turned 
round and spread out his arms. The savage, confounded 
by this sudden action, attempted to stop and hurl his 
spear, but fell in the very act. His spear stuck in the 
ground, and the shaft broke in his hand. Colter plucked 
up the pointed part, pinned the savage to the earth, and 
continued his flight. The Indians, as they arrived at 
their slaughtered companion, stopped to howl over him. 
Colter made the most of this precious delay, gained the 
skirt oi cotton-wood bordering the river, dashed through 
it, and plunged into the stream. He swam to a neighbor¬ 
ing island, against the upper end of which the driftwood 
had lodged in such quantities as to form a natural raft; 
under this he dived, and swam below water until he suc¬ 
ceeded in getting a breathing place between the floating 
trunks of trees, whose branches and bushes formed a 
covert several feet above the level of the water. He had 
scarcely drawn breath after all his toils, when he heard 
his pursuers on the river bank, whooping and yelling 
like so many fiends. They plunged in the river, and 
swam to the raft. The heart of Colter almost died within 
him as he saw them, through the chinks of his conceal- 


TRAVELLING UNDER DIFFICULTIES 


213 


ment, passing and repassing, and seeking for him in all 
directions. They at length gave np the search, and he 
began to rejoice in his escape, when the idea presented 
itself that they might set the raft on fire. Here was a 
new source of horrible apprehension, in which he re¬ 
mained until nightfall. Fortunately the idea did not sug¬ 
gest itself to the Indians. As soon as it was dark, find¬ 
ing by the silence around that his pursuers had departed, 
Colter dived again and came up beyond the raft. He 
then swam silently down the river for a considerable dis¬ 
tance, when he landed, and kept on all night, to get as 
far as possible from this dangerous neighborhood. 

By daybreak he had gained sufficient distance to re¬ 
lieve him from the terrors of his savage foes; but now 
new sources of inquietude presented themselves. He 
was naked and alone, in the midst of an unbounded wil¬ 
derness ; his only chance was to reach a trading post of 
the Missouri Company, situated on a branch of the Yel¬ 
lowstone Kiver. Even should he elude his pursuers, 
days must elapse before he could reach this post, during 
which he must traverse immense prairies destitute of 
shade, his naked body exposed to the burning heat of the 
sun by day, and the dews and chills of the night season, 
and his feet lacerated by the thorns of the prickly pear. 
Though he might see game in abundance around him, he 
had no means of killing any for his sustenance, and must 
depend for food upon the roots of the earth. In de¬ 
fiance of these difficulties he pushed resolutely forward, 


214 


ASTORIA . 


guiding himself in his trackless course by those signs 
and indications known only to Indians and backwoods¬ 
men; and after braying dangers and hardships enough 
to break down any spirit but that of a western pioneer, 
arrived safe at the solitary post in question.* 

Such is a sample of the rugged experience which 
Colter had to relate of savage life; yet, with all these 
perils and terrors fresh in his recollection, he could not 
see the present band on their way to those regions of 
danger and adventure, without feeling a vehement im¬ 
pulse to join them. A western trapper is like a sailor; 
past hazards only stimulate him to further risks. The 
vast prairie is to the one what the ocean is to the other, 
a boundless field of enterprise and exploit. However he 
may have suffered in his last cruise, he is always ready 
to join a new expedition; and the more adventurous its 
nature, the more attractive is it to his vagrant spirit. 

Nothing seems to have kept Colter from continuing 
with the party to the shores of the Pacific but the cir¬ 
cumstance of his having recently married. All the morn¬ 
ing he kept with them, balancing in his mind the charms 
of his bride against those of the Bocky Mountains; the 
former, however, prevailed, and after a march of several 
miles, he took a reluctant leave of the travellers, and 
turned his face homeward. 

Continuing their progress up the Missouri, the party 


Bradbury, Travels in America, p. 17, 


ARRIVAL AT FORT OSAGE. 


215 


encamped on the evening of the 21st of March, in the 
neighborhood of a little frontier village of French creoles. 
Here Pierre Dorion met with some of his old comrades, 
with whom he had a long gossip, and returned to the 
camp with rumors of bloody feuds between the Osages 
and the Ioways, or Ayaways, Potowatomies, Sioux, and 
Sawkees. Blood had already been shed, and scalps been 
taken. A war party, three hundred strong, were prowl¬ 
ing in the neighborhood; others might be met with 
higher up the river; it behooved the travellers, therefore, 
to be upon their guard against robbery or surprise, for 
an Indian war-party on the march is prone to acts of 
outrage. 

In consequence of this report, which was subsequently 
confirmed by further intelligence, a guard was kept up at 
night round the encampment, and they all slept on their 
arms. As they were sixteen in number, and well supplied 
with weapons and ammunition, they trusted to be able to 
give any marauding party a warm reception. Nothing 
occurred, however, to molest them on their voyage, and 
on the 8th of April they came in sight of Fort Osage. 
On their approach the flag was hoisted on the fort, and 
they saluted it by a discharge of fire-arms. Within a 
short distance of the fort was an Osage village, the in¬ 
habitants of which, men, women, and children, thronged 
down to the water side to witness their landing. One 
of the first persons they met on the river bank was 
Mr. Crooks, who had come down in a boat, with nine 


216 


ASTORIA 


men, from the winter encampment at Nodowa, to meet 
them. 

They remained at Fort Osage a part of three days, 
during which they were hospitably entertained at the 
garrison by Lieutenant Brownson, who held a temporary 
command. They were regaled also with a war-feast at 
the village; the Osage warriors having returned from a 
successful foray against the loways, in which they had 
taken seven scalps. They were paraded on poles about 
the village, followed by the warriors decked out in all 
their savage ornaments, and hideously painted as if for 
battle. 

By the Osage warriors, Mr. Hunt and his companions 
were again warned to be on their guard in ascending the 
river, as the Sioux tribe meant to lay in wait and attack 
them. 

On the 10th of April they again embarked their party, 
being now augmented to twenty-six, by the addition of 
Mr. Crooks and his boat’s crew. They had not pro¬ 
ceeded far, however, when there was a great outcry from 
one of the boats; it was occasioned by a little domestic 
discipline in the Dorion family. The squaw of the 
worthy interpreter, it appeared, had been so delighted 
with the scalp-dance, and other festivities of the Osage 
village, that she had taken a strong inclination to remain 
there. This had been as strongly opposed by her liege 
lord, who had compelled her to embark. The good dame 
had remained sulky ever since, whereupon Pierre, seeing 


TURKE T-B UZZARDS. 


217 


no other mode of exorcising the evil spirit out of her, 
and being, perhaps, a little inspired by whiskey, had 
resorted to the Indian remedy of the cudgel, and before 
his neighbors could interfere, had belabored her so 
soundly, that there is no record of her having shown any 
refractory symptoms throughout the remainder of the 
expedition. 

For a week they continued their voyage, exposed to 
almost incessant rains. The bodies of drowned buffaloes 
floated past them in vast numbers; many had drifted 
upon the shore, or against the upper ends of the rafts 
and islands. These had attracted great flights of turkey- 
buzzards ; some were banqueting on the carcasses, others 
were soaring far aloft in the sky, and others were perched 
on the trees, with their backs to the sun, and their wings 
stretched out to dry, like so many vessels in harbor, 
spreading their sails after a shower. 

The turkey-buzzard (vultur aura , or golden vulture), 
when on the wing, is one of the most specious and im¬ 
posing of birds. Its flight in the upper regions of the 
air is really sublime, extending its immense wings, and 
wheeling slowly and majestically to and fro, seemingly 
without exerting a muscle or fluttering a feather, but 
moving by mere volition, and sailing on the bosom of the 
air, as a ship upon the ocean. Usurping the empyreal 
realm of the eagle, he assumes for a time the port and 
dignity of that majestic bird, and often is mistaken for 
him by ignorant crawlers upon earth. It is only when he 


218 


ASTORIA . 


descends from the clouds to pounce upon carrion that he 
betrays his low propensities, and reveals his caitiff char¬ 
acter. Near at hand he is a disgusting bird, ragged in 
plumage, base in aspect, and of loathsome odor. 

On the 17th of April Mr. Hunt arrived with his party 
at the station near the Nodowa Biver, where the main 
body had been quartered during the winter. 


CHAPTER XVL 


RETURN OF SPRING.—APPEAR AN CB OF SNAKES.—GREAT FLIGHTS OF WILD 
PIGEONS.—RENEWAL OF THE VOYAGE.— NIGHT ENCAMPMENTS.— PLATTE 
RIVER.—CEREMONIALS ON PASSING IT.—SIGNS OF INDIAN WAR PARTIES.— 
MAGNIFICENT PROSPECT AT PAPILLION CREEK.—DESERTION OF TWO HUNT¬ 
ERS.—AN IRRUPTION INTO THE CAMP OF INDIAN DESPERADOES.—VILLAGE 
OF THE OMAHAS.—ANECDOTES OF THE TRIBE.—FEUDAL WAR9 OF THE 
INDIANS.—STORY OF BLACKBIRD, THE FAMOUS OMAHA CHIEF. 


weather continued rainy and ungenial for 
fc fcSlfe some days after Mr. Hunt’s return to Nodowa ; 
[jlgBlifi yet spring was rapidly advancing and vegeta¬ 
tion was putting forth with all its early freshness and 
beauty. The snakes began to recover from their torpor 
and crawl forth into day; and the neighborhood of the 
wintering house seems to have been much infested with 
them. Mr. Bradbury, in the course of his botanical re¬ 
searches, found a surprising number in a half torpid 
state, under flat stones upon the banks which overhung 
the cantonment, and narrowly escaped being struck by a 
rattlesnake, which darted at him from a cleft in the rock, 
but fortunately gave him warning by his rattle. 

The pigeons, too, were filling the woods in vast migra¬ 
tory flocks. It is almost incredible to describe the pro- 

219 











220 


ASTORIA. 


digious flights of these birds in the western wilder¬ 
nesses. They appear absolutely in clouds, and move 
with astonishing velocity, their wings making a whistling 
sound as they fly. The rapid evolutions of these flocks, 
wheeling and shifting suddenly as if with one mind and 
one impulse ; the flashing changes of color they present, 
as their backs, their breasts, or the under part of their 
wings are turned to the spectator, are singularly pleas¬ 
ing. When they alight, if on the ground, they cover 
whole acres at a time ; if upon trees, the branches often 
break beneath their weight. If suddenly startled while 
feeding in the midst of a forest, the noise they make in 
getting on the wing is like the roar of a cataract or the 
sound of distant thunder. 

A flight of this kind, like an Egyptian flight of locusts, 
devours everything that serves for its food as it passes 
along. So great were the numbers in the vicinity of the 
camp that Mr. Bradbury, in the course of a morning’s 
excursion, shot nearly three hundred with a fowling- 
piece. He gives a curious, though apparently a faithful, 
account of the kind of discipline observed in these im¬ 
mense flocks, so that each may have a chance of picking 
up food. As the front ranks must meet with the great¬ 
est abundance, and the rear ranks must have scanty 
pickings, the instant a rank finds itself the hindmost, 
it rises in the air, flies over the whole flock and takes 
its place in the advance. The next rank follows in 
its course, and thus the last is continually becoming 


RENEWAL OF TEE VOYAGE. 


221 


first and all by turns have a front place at the ban¬ 
quet. 

The rains having at length subsided, Mr. Hunt broke 
up the encampment and resumed his course up the 
Missouri. 

The party now consisted of nearly sixty persons; of 
whom five were partners, one, John Reed, was a clerk; 
forty were Canadian “ voyageurs,” or “ engages and 
there were several hunters. They embarked in four 
boats, one of which was of a large size, mounting a 
swivel and two howitzers. All were furnished with 
masts and sails, to be used when the wind was suffi¬ 
ciently favorable and strong to overpower the current of 
the river. Such was the case for the first four or five 
days, when they were wafted steadily up the stream by a 
strong southeaster. 

Their encampments at night were often pleasant and 
picturesque : on some beautiful bank, beneath spreading 
trees, which afforded them shelter and fuel. The tents 
were pitched, the fires made, and the meals prepared by 
the voyageurs, and many a story was told, and joke 
passed, and song sung round the evening fire. All, how¬ 
ever, were asleep at an early hour. Some under the 
tents, others wrapped in blankets before the fire, or be¬ 
neath the trees; and some few in the boats and canoes. 

On the 28th, they breakfasted on one of the islands 
which lie at the mouth of the Nebraska or Platte River— 
the largest tributary of the Missouri, and about six hun- 


222 


ASTORIA. 


dred miles above its confluence with the Mississippi 
This broad but shallow stream flows for an immense dis¬ 
tance through a wide and verdant valley scooped out of 
boundless prairies. It draws its main supplies, by sev¬ 
eral forks or branches, from the Eocky Mountains. The 
mouth of this river is established as the dividing point 
between the upper and lower Missouri; and the earlier 
voyagers, in their toilsome ascent, before the introduc¬ 
tion of steamboats, considered one-half of their labors 
accomplished when they reached this place. The pass¬ 
ing of the mouth of the Nebraska, therefore, was equiva¬ 
lent among boatmen to the crossing of the line among 
sailors, and was celebrated with like ceremonials of a 
rough and waggish nature, practiced upon the unin¬ 
itiated ; among which was the old nautical joke of shav¬ 
ing. The river deities, however, like those of the sea, 
were to be propitiated by a bribe, and the infliction of 
these rude honors to be parried by a treat to the adepts. 

At the mouth of the Nebraska new signs were met 
with of war parties which had recently been in the vicin¬ 
ity. There was the frame of a skin canoe, in which the 
warriors had traversed the river. At night, also, the 
lurid reflection of immense fires hung in the sky, show¬ 
ing the conflagration of great tracts of the prairies. 
Such fires not being made by hunters so late in the sea¬ 
son, it was supposed they were caused by some wander¬ 
ing war parties. These often take the precaution to set 
the prairies on fire behind them to conceal their traces 


MAGNIFICENT PROSPECT. 


223 


from their enemies. This is chiefly done when the party 
has been unsuccessful, and is on the retreat and appre¬ 
hensive of pursuit. At such time it is not safe even for 
friends to fall in with them, as they are apt to be in sav¬ 
age humor, and disposed to vent their spleen in capri¬ 
cious outrage. These signs, therefore, of a band of 
marauders on the prowl, called for some degree of vigi¬ 
lance on the part of the travellers. 

After passing the Nebraska, the party halted for part 
of two days on the bank of the river, a little above Pa- 
pillion Creek, to supply themselves with a stock of oars 
and poles from the tough wood of the ash, which is not 
met with higher up the Missouri. While the voyagers 
were thus occupied, the naturalists rambled over the 
adjacent country to collect plants. From the summit of 
a range of bluffs on the opposite side of the river, about 
two hundred and fifty feet high, they had one of those 
vast and magnificent prospects which sometimes unfold 
themselves in those boundless regions. Below them was 
the Valley of the Missouri, about seven miles in breadth, 
clad in the fresh verdure of spring; enameled with flow¬ 
ers and interspersed with clumps and groves of noble 
trees, between which the mighty river poured its turbu¬ 
lent and turbid stream. The interior of the country pre¬ 
sented a singular scene ; the immense waste being broken 
up by innumerable green hills, not above eight feet in 
height, but extremely steep, and actually pointed at their 
summits. A long line of bluffs extended for upwards of 


224 


ASTORIA. 


thirty miles parallel to the Missouri, with a shallow lake 
stretching along their base, which had evidently once 
formed a bed of the river. The surface of this lake was 
covered with aquatic plants, on the broad leaves of which 
numbers of water-snakes, drawn forth by the genial 
warmth of spring, were basking in the sunshine. 

On the 2d day of May, at the usual hour of embarking, 
the camp was thrown into some confusion by two of the 
hunters, named Harrington, expressing their intention to 
abandon the expedition and return home. One of these 
had joined the party in the preceding autumn, having 
been hunting for two years on the Missouri; the other 
had engaged at St. Louis, in the following March, and 
had come up from thence with Mr. Hunt. He now de¬ 
clared that he had enlisted merely for the purpose of 
following his brother, and persuading him to return; 
having been enjoined to do so by his mother, whose anx¬ 
iety had been awakened by the idea of his going on such 
a wild and distant expedition. 

The loss of two stark hunters and prime riflemen was 
a serious affair to the party, for they were approaching 
the region where they might expect hostilities from the 
Sioux; indeed, throughout the whole of their perilous 
journey, the services of such men would be all impor¬ 
tant, for little reliance was to be placed upon the valor of 
the Canadians in case of attack. Mr. Hunt endeavored 
by arguments, expostulations, and entreaties, to shake 
the determination of the two brothers. He represented 


DESERTION OF TWO HUNTERS. 


225 


to them that they were between six and seven hundred 
miles above the mouth of the Missouri ; that they would 
have four hundred miles to go before they could reach 
the habitation of a white man, throughout which they 
would be exposed to all kinds of risks ; since, he de¬ 
clared, if they persisted in abandoning him and breaking 
their faith, he would not furnish them with a single 
round of ammunition. All was in vain ; they obstinately 
persisted in their resolution; whereupon, Mr. Hunt, 
partly incited by indignation, partly by the policy of de¬ 
terring others from desertion, put his threat into execu¬ 
tion, and left them to find their way back to the settle¬ 
ments without, as he supposed, a single bullet or charge 
of powder. 

The boats now continued their slow and toilsome 
course for several days, against the current of the river. 
The late signs of roaming war parties caused a vigilant 
watch to be kept up at night when the crews encamped 
on shore ; nor was this vigilance superfluous ; for on the 
night of the seventh instant, there was a wild and fearful 
yell, and eleven Sioux warriors, stark naked, with toma¬ 
hawks in their hands, rushed into the camp. They were 
instantly surrounded and seized, whereupon their leader 
called out to his followers to desist from any violence, 
and pretended to be perfectly pacific in his intentions. 
It proved, however, that they were a part of the war 
party, the skeleton of whose canoe had been seen at the 
mouth of the river Platte, and the reflection of whose 


226 


ASTORIA . 


fires had been descried in the air. They had been disap¬ 
pointed or defeated in the foray, and in their rage and 
mortification these eleven warriors had “ devoted their 
clothes to the medicine.” This is a desperate act of 
Indian braves when foiled in war, and in dread of scoffs 
and sneers. In such case they sometimes throw off their 
clothes and ornaments, devote themselves to the Great 
Spirit, and attempt some reckless exploit with which to 
cover their disgrace. Woe to any defenseless party of 
white men that may then fall in their way! 

Such was the explanation given by Pierre Dorion, the 
half-breed interpreter, of this wild intrusion into the 
camp; and the party were so exasperated when apprised 
of the sanguinary intentions of the prisoners, that they 
were for shooting them on the spot. Mr. Hunt, however, 
exerted his usual moderation and humanity, and ordered 
that they should be conveyed across the river in one of 
the boats, threatening them however, with certain death, 
if again caught in any hostile act. 

On the 10th of May the party arrived at the Omaha 
(pronounced Omawhaw) village, about eight hundred and 
thirty miles above the mouth of the Missouri, and en¬ 
camped in its neighborhood. The village was situated 
under a hill on the bank of the river, and consisted of 
about eighty lodges. These were of a circular and coni¬ 
cal form, and about sixteen feet in diameter; being mere 
tents of dressed buffalo skins, sewed together and 
stretched on long poles, inclined towards each other so 


VILLAGE OF THE 0MAHA8. 


227 


as to cross at about half their height. Thus the naked 
tops of the poles diverge in such a manner that, if they 
were covered with skins like the lower ends, the tent 
would be shaped like an hour-glass, and present the ap¬ 
pearance of one cone inverted on the apex of another. 

The forms of Indian lodges are worthy of attention, 
each tribe having a different mode of shaping and ar¬ 
ranging them, so that it is easy to tell, on seeing a lodge 
or an encampment at a distance, to what tribe the inhabi¬ 
tants belong. The exterior of the Omaha lodges have 
often a gay and fanciful appearance, being painted with 
undulating bands of red or yellow, or decorated with 
rude figures of horses, deer, and buffaloes, and with 
human faces, painted like full moons, four and five feet 
broad. 

The Omahas were once one of the numerous and pow¬ 
erful tribes of the prairies, vying in warlike might and 
prowess with the Sioux, the Pawnees, the Sauks, the 
Konzas, and the Iatans. Their wars with the Sioux, how¬ 
ever, had thinned their ranks, and the small-pox in 1802 
had swept off two thirds of their number. At the time 
of Mr. Hunt’s visit they still boasted about two hundred 
warriors and hunters, but they are now fast melting 
away, and before long, will be numbered among those 
extinguished nations of the west that exist but in tra¬ 
dition. 

In his correspondence with Mr. Astor, from this point 
of his journey, Mr. Hunt gives a sad account of the 


228 


ASTORIA. 


Indian tribes bordering on tbe river. They were in con¬ 
tinual war with each other, and their wars were of the 
most harassing kind; consisting, not merely of main con¬ 
flicts and expeditions of moment, involving the sackings, 
burnings, and massacres of towns and villages, but of 
individual acts of treachery, murder, and cold-blooded 
cruelty ; or of vaunting and foolhardy exploits of single 
warriors, either to avenge some personal wrong, or gain 
the vainglorious trophy of a scalp. The lonely hunter, 
the wandering wayfarer, the poor squaw cutting wood or 
gathering corn, was liable to be surprised and slaugh¬ 
tered. In this way tribes were either swept away at 
once, or gradually thinned out, and savage life was sur¬ 
rounded with constant horrors and alarms. That the 
race of red men should diminish from year to year, and 
so few should survive of the numerous nations which 
evidently once peopled the vast regions of the west, is 
nothing surprising; it is rather matter of surprise that 
so many should survive; for the existence of a savage in 
these parts seems little better than a prolonged and all- 
besetting death. It is, in fact, a caricature of the boasted 
romance of feudal times ; chivalry in its native and un¬ 
cultured state, and knight-errantry run wild. 

In their most prosperous days, the Omahas looked 
upon themselves as the most powerful and perfect of 
human beings, and considered all created things as made 
for their peculiar use and benefit. It is this tribe of 
whose chief, the famous Wash-ing-guh-sah-ba, or Black- 


BLACKBIRD, THE OMAHA CHIEF. 


229 


bird, such savage and romantic stories are told. He had 
died about ten years previous to the arrival of Mr. 
Hunt’s party, but his name was still mentioned with awe 
by his people. He was one of the first among the Indian 
chiefs on the Missouri to deal with tho white traders, 
and showed great sagacity in levying his royal dues. 
When a trader arrived in his village, he caused all his 
goods to be brought into his lodge and opened. From 
these he selected whatever suited his sovereign pleasure ; 
blankets, tobacco, whiskey, powder, ball, beads, and red 
paint; and laid the articles on one side, without deigning 
to give any compensation. Then calling to him his her¬ 
ald or crier, he would order him to mount on top of the 
lodge and summon all the tribe to bring in their peltries, 
and trade with the white man. The lodge would soon be 
crowded with Indians bringing bear, beaver, otter, and 
other skins. No one was allowed to dispute the prices 
fixed by the white trader upon his articles; who took 
care to indemnify himself five times over for the goods 
set apart by the chief. In this way the Blackbird en¬ 
riched himself, and enriched the white men, and became 
exceedingly popular among the traders of the Missouri. 
His people, however, were not equally satisfied by a 
regulation of trade which worked so manifestly against 
them, and began to show signs of discontent. Upon this 
a crafty and unprincipled trader revealed a secret to the 
Blackbird, by which he might acquire unbounded sway 
over his ignorant and superstitious subjects. He in- 


230 


ASTORIA. 


structed him in the poisonous qualities of arsenic, and 
furnished him with an ample supply of that baneful 
drug. From this time the Blackbird seemed endowed 
with supernatural powers, to possess the gift of proph¬ 
ecy, and to hold the disposal of life and death within 
his hands. Woe to any one who questioned his author¬ 
ity or dared to dispute his commands ! The Blackbird 
prophesied his death within a certain time, and he had 
the secret means of verifying his prophecy. Within the 
fated period the offender was smitten with strange and 
sudden disease, and perished from the face of the earth. 
Every one stood aghast at these multiplied examples of 
his superhuman might, and dreaded to displease so 
omnipotent and vindictive a being; and the Blackbird 
enjoyed a wide and undisputed sway. 

It was not, however, by terror alone that he ruled his 
people; he was a warrior of the first order, and his ex¬ 
ploits in arms were the theme of young and old. His 
career had begun by hardships, having been taken pris¬ 
oner by the Sioux, in early youth. Under his command, 
the Omahas obtained great character for military prow¬ 
ess, nor did he permit an insult or an injury to one of 
his tribe to pass unrevenged. The Pawnee republicans 
had inflicted a gross indignity on a favorite and distin¬ 
guished Omaha brave. The Blackbird assembled his 
warriors, led them against the Pawnee town, attacked it 
with irresistible fury, slaughtered a great number of its 
inhabitants, and burnt it to the ground. He waged fierce 


BLACKBIRD’S PROWESS. 


231 


and bloody war against the Ottoes for many years, until 
peace was effected between them by the mediation of the 
whites. Fearless in battle, and fond of signalizing him¬ 
self, he dazzled his followers by daring acts. In attack¬ 
ing a Kanza village, he rode singly round it, loading and 
discharging his rifle at the inhabitants as he galloped 
past them. He kept up in war the same idea of myste¬ 
rious and supernatural power. At one time, when pur¬ 
suing a war party by their tracks across the prairies, he 
repeatedly discharged his rifle into the prints made by 
their feet and by the hoofs of their horses, assuring his 
followers that he would thereby cripple the fugitives, so 
that they would easily be overtaken. He in fact did 
overtake them, and destroyed them almost to a man; and 
his victory was considered miraculous, both by friend 
and foe. By these and similar exploits, he made himself 
the pride and boast of his people, and became popular 
among them, notwithstanding his death-denouncing fiat. 

With all his savage and terrific qualities, he was sen¬ 
sible of the power of female beauty, and capable of love. 
A war party of the Poncas had made a foray into the 
lands of the Omahas, and carried off a number of women 
and horses. The Blackbird was roused to fury, and took 
the field with all his braves, swearing to “ eat up the 
Ponca nation ”—the Indian threat of exterminating war. 
The Poncas, sorely pressed, took refuge behind a rude 
bulwark of earth; but the Blackbird kept up so galling 
a fire, that he seemed likely to execute his menace. In 


232 


ASTORIA. 


their extremity they sent forth a herald, bearing the 
calumet or pipe of peace, but he was shot down by order 
of the Blackbird. Another herald was sent forth in 
similar guise, but he shared a like fate. The Ponca chief 
then, as a last hope, arrayed his beautiful daughter in 
her finest ornaments, and sent her forth with a calumet, 
to sue for peace. The charms of the Indian maid touched 
the stern heart of the Blackbird; he accepted the pipe 
at her hand, smoked it, and from that time a peace took 
place between the Poncas and the Omahas. 

This beautiful damsel, in all probability, was the fa¬ 
vorite wife whose fate makes so tragic an incident in the 
story of the Blackbird. Her youth and beauty had 
gained an absolute sway over his rugged heart, so that 
he distinguished her above all of his other wives. The 
habitual gratification of his vindictive impulses, however, 
had taken away from him all mastery over his passions, 
and rendered him liable to the most furious transports 
of rage. In one of these his beautiful wife had the mis¬ 
fortune to offend him, when suddenly drawing his knife, 
he laid her dead at his feet with a single blow. 

In an instant his frenzy was at an end. He gazed for 
a time in mute bewilderment upon his victim; then 
drawing his buffalo robe over his head, he sat down be¬ 
side the corpse, and remained brooding over his crime 
and his loss. Three days elapsed, yet the chief con¬ 
tinued silent and motionless ; tasting no food, and appa¬ 
rently sleepless. It was apprehended that he intended 


RAVAGES OF THE SMALL-POX. 


233 


to starve himself to death ; his people approached him in 
trembling awe, and entreated him once more to uncover 
his face and be comforted; but he remained unmoved. 
At length one of his warriors brought in a small child, 
and laying it on the ground, placed the foot of the Black¬ 
bird upon its neck. The heart of the gloomy savage was 
touched by this appeal; he threw aside his robe ; made 
an harangue upon what he had done ; and from that time 
forward seemed to have thrown the load of grief and re¬ 
morse from his mind. 

He still retained his fatal and mysterious secret, and 
with it his terrific power ; but, though able to deal death 
to his enemies, he could not avert it from himself or his 
friends. In 1802 the small-pox, that dreadful pestilence, 
which swept over the land like a fire over the prairie, 
made its appearance in the village of the Omahas. The 
poor savages saw with dismay the ravages of a malady, 
loathsome and agonizing in its details, and which set the 
skill and experience of their conjurers and medicine men 
at defiance. In a little while, two thirds of the popula¬ 
tion were swept from the face of the earth, and the doom 
of the rest seemed sealed. The stoicism of the warriors 
was at an end; they became wild and desperate ; some 
set fire to the village as a last means of checking the 
pestilence; others, in a frenzy of despair, put their wives 
and children to death, that they might be spared the 
agonies of an inevitable disease, and that they might all 
go to some better country. 


234 


ASTORIA. 


When the general horror and dismay was at its height, 
the Blackbird himself was struck down with the malady. 
The poor savages, when they saw their chief in danger, 
forgot their own miseries, and surrounded his dying bed. 
His dominant spirit, and his love for the white men, were 
evinced in his latest breath, with which he designated 
his place of sepulture. It was to be on a hill or promon¬ 
tory, upwards of four hundred feet in height, overlooking 
a great extent of the Missouri, from whence he had been 
accustomed to watch for the barks of the white men. 
The Missouri washes the base of the promontory, and 
after winding and doubling in many links and mazes 
in the plain below, returns to within nine hundred yards 
of its starting-place ; so that for thirty miles navigating 
with sail and oar, the voyager finds himself continually 
near to this singular promontory as if spell-bound. 

It was the dying command of the Blackbird that his 
tomb should be on the summit of this hill, in which he 
should be interred, seated on his favorite horse, that he 
might overlook his ancient domain, and behold the barks 
of the white men as they came up the river to trade with 
his people. 

His dying orders were faithfully obeyed. His corpse 
was placed astride of his war-steed and a mound raised 
over them on the summit of the hill. On top of the 
mound was erected a staff, from which fluttered the ban¬ 
ner of the chieftain, and the scalps that he had taken in 
battle. When the expedition under Mr. Hunt visited 


BURIAL OF BLACKBIRD . 


235 


that part of the country, the staff still remained, with the 
fragments of the banner; and the superstitious rite of 
placing food from time to time on the mound, for the use 
of the deceased, was still observed by the Omahas. 
That rite has since fallen into disuse, for the tribe itself 
is almost extinct. Yet the hill of the Blackbird con¬ 
tinues an object of veneration to the wandering savage, 
and a landmark to the voyager of the Missouri ; and as 
the civilized traveller comes within sight of its spell¬ 
bound crest, the mound is pointed out to him from afar, 
which still incloses the grim skeletons of the Indian 
warrior and his horse. 


CHAPTER XVH 


RUMOR8 OF DANGER FROM THE SIOUX TETONS.—RUTHLESS CHARACTER OF 
THOSE SAVAGES.—PIRATES OF THE MISSOURI.—THEIR AFFAIR WITH CROOKS 
AND M’LELLAN.—A TRADING EXPEDITION BROKEN UP.—M’LELLAN’S VOW 
OF VENGEANCE.—UNEASINESS IN THE CAMP.—DESERTIONS.—DEPARTURE 
FROM THE OMAHA VILLAGE.—MEETING WITH JONES AND CARSON, TWO 
ADVENTUROUS TRAPPERS.—SCIENTIFIC PURSUITS OF MESSRS. BRADBURY 
AND NUTTALL.—ZEAL OF A BOTANIST.—ADVENTURE OF MR. BRADBURY 
WITH A PONCA INDIAN.—EXPEDIENT OF THE POCKET COMPASS AND 
MICROSCOPE.—A MESSENGER FROM LISA.—MOTIVES FOB PRESSING FOR¬ 
WARD. 



HILE Mr. Hunt and his party were sojourn¬ 
ing at the village of the Omahas, three Sioux 
Indians of the Yankton Ahna tribe arrived, 
bringing unpleasant intelligence. They reported that 
certain bands of the Sioux Tetons, who inhabited a re¬ 
gion many leagues further up the Missouri, were near 
at hand, awaiting the approach of the party, with the 
avowed intention of opposing their progress. 

The Sioux Tetons were at that time a sort of pirates of 
the Missouri, who considered the well freighted bark of 
the American trader fair game. They had their own 
traffic with the British merchants of the Northwest, who 
brought them regular supplies of merchandise by way of 

236 











PIRATES OF THE MIS SO URL 


237 


the river St. Peter. Being thus independent of the 
Missouri traders for their supplies, they kept no terms 
with them, but plundered them whenever they had an 
opportunity. It has been insinuated that they were 
prompted to these outrages by the British merchants, 
who wished to keep off all rivals in the Indian trade ; 
but others allege another motive, and one savoring of a 
deeper policy. The Sioux, by their intercourse with the 
British traders, had acquired the use of fire-arms, which 
had given them vast superiority over other tribes higher 
up the Missouri. They had made themselves also, in a 
manner, factors for the upper tribes, supplying them at 
second hand, and at greatly advanced prices, with goods 
derived from the white men. The Sioux, therefore, saw 
with jealousy the American traders pushing their way up 
the Missouri; foreseeing that the upper tribes would 
thus be relieved from all dependence on them for sup¬ 
plies; nay, what was worse, would be furnished with 
fire-arms, and elevated into formidable rivals. 

We have already alluded to a case in which Mr. Crooks 
and Mr. M’Lellan had been interrupted in a trading voy¬ 
age by these ruffians of the river, and, as it is in some 
degree connected with circumstances hereafter to be 
related, we shall specify it more particularly. 

About two years before the time of which we are treat¬ 
ing, Crooks and M’Lellan were ascending the river in 
boats with a party of about forty men, bound on one of 
their trading expeditions to the upper tribes. In one of 


*238 


ASTORIA. 


the bends of the river, where the channel made a deep 
curve under impending banks, they suddenly heard yells 
and shouts above them, and beheld the cliffs overhead 
covered with armed savages. It was a band of Sioux 
warriors, upwards of six hundred strong. They bran¬ 
dished their weapons in a menacing manner, and ordered 
the boats to turn back and land lower down the river. 
There was no disputing these commands, for they had 
the power to shower destruction upon the white men, 
without risk to themselves. Crooks and M’Lellan, there¬ 
fore, turned back with feigned alacrity, and, landing, had 
an interview with the Sioux. The latter forbade them, 
under pain of exterminating hostility, from attempting to 
proceed up the river, but offered to trade peacefully with 
them if they would halt where they were. The party, 
being principally composed of voyageurs, was too weak 
to contend with so superior a force, and one so easily 
augmented; they pretended, therefore, to comply cheer¬ 
fully with their arbitrary dictation, and immediately pro¬ 
ceeded to cut down trees and erect a trading house. The 
warrior band departed for their village, which was about 
twenty miles distant, to collect objects of traffic; they 
left six or eight of their number, however, to keep watch 
upon the white men, and scouts were continually passing 
to and fro with intelligence. 

Mr. Crooks saw that it would be impossible to prose¬ 
cute his voyage without the danger of having his boats' 
plundered, and a great part of his men massacred; he 


M'LELLAN’3 VOW . 


239 


determined, however, not to be entirely frustrated in the 
objects of his expedition. While he continued, there¬ 
fore, with great apparent earnestness and assiduity, the 
construction of the trading house, he despatched the 
hunters and trappers of his party in a canoe, to make 
their way up the river to the original place of des¬ 
tination, there to busy themselves in trapping and col¬ 
lecting peltries, and to await his arrival at some future 
period. 

As soon as the detachment had had sufficient time to 
ascend beyond the hostile country of the Sioux, Mr. 
Crooks suddenly broke up his feigned trading establish¬ 
ment, embarked his men and effects, and, after giving the 
astonished rear-guard of savages a galling and indignant 
message to take to their countrymen, pushed down the 
river with all speed, sparing neither oar nor paddle, day 
nor night, until fairly beyond the swoop of these river 
hawks. 

What increased the irritation of Messrs. Crooks and 
M’Lellan, at this mortifying check to their gainful enter¬ 
prise, was the information that a rival trader was at the 
bottom of it; the Sioux, it is said, having been instigated 
to this outrage by Mr. Manuel Lisa, the leading partner 
and agent of the Missouri Fur Company, already men¬ 
tioned. This intelligence, whether true or false, so 
roused the fiery temper of M’Lellan, that he swore, if 
ever he fell in with Lisa in the Indian country, he would 
shoot him on the spot; a mode of redress perfectly in 


240 


ASTORIA. 


unison with the character of the man, and the code of 
honor prevalent beyond the frontier. 

If Crooks and M’Lellan had been exasperated by the 
insolent conduct of the Sioux Tetons, and the loss which 
it had occasioned, those freebooters had been no less in¬ 
dignant at being outwitted by the white men, and disap¬ 
pointed of their anticipated gains, and it was apprehended 
they would be particularly hostile against the present 
expedition, when they should learn that these gentlemen 
were engaged in it. 

All these causes of uneasiness were concealed as much 
as possible from the Canadian voyageurs, lest they 
should become intimidated; it was impossible, however, 
to prevent the rumors brought by the Indians from leak¬ 
ing out, and they became subjects of gossiping and exag¬ 
geration. The chief of the Omahas, too, on returning 
from a hunting excursion, reported that two men had 
been killed some distance above, by a band of Sioux. 
This added to the fears that already began to be excited. 
The voyageurs pictured to themselves bands of fierce 
warriors stationed along each bank of the river, by whom 
they would be exposed to be shot down in their boats: 
or lurking hordes, who would set on them at night, and 
massacre them in their encampments. Some lost heart, 
and proposed to return, rather than fight their way, and, 
in a manner, run the gauntlet through the country of 
these piratical marauders. In fact, three men deserted 
while at this village. Luckily, their place was supplied 


uneasiness in the camp. 


241 


by three others who happened to be there, and who were 
prevailed on to join the expedition by promises of liberal 
pay, and by being fitted out and equipped in complete 
style. 

The irresolution and discontent visible among some of 
his people, arising at times almost to mutiny, and the 
occasional desertions which took place while thus among 
friendly tribes,, and within reach of the frontiers, added 
greatly to the anxieties of Mr. Hunt, and rendered him 
eager to press forward and leave a hostile tract behind 
him, so that it would be as perilous to return as to keep 
on, and no one would dare to desert. 

Accordingly, on the 15th of May he departed from the 
village of the Omahas, and set forward towards the coun¬ 
try of the formidable Sioux Tetons. For the first five 
days they had a fair and fresh breeze, and the boats 
made good progress. The wind then came ahead, and 
the river beginning to rise, and to increase in rapidity, 
betokened the commencement of the annual flood, caused 
by the melting of the snow on the Rocky Mountains, and 
the vernal rains of the upper prairies. 

As they were now entering a region where foes might 
be lying in wait on either bank, it was determined, in 
hunting for game, to confine themselves principally to 
the islands, which sometimes extend to considerable 
length, and are beautifully wooded, affording abundant 
pasturage and shade. On one of these they killed three 
buffaloes and two elks, and halting on the edge of a 
16 


242 


ASTORIA . 


beautiful prairie, made a sumptuous hunter’s repast 
They had not long resumed their boats and pulled along 
the river banks when they descried a canoe approaching, 
navigated by two men, whom, to their surprise, they 
ascertained to be white men. They proved to be two of 
those strange and fearless wanderers of the wilderness, 
the trappers. Their names were Benjamin Jones and 
Alexander Carson. They had been for two years past 
hunting and trapping near the head of the Missouri, and 
were thus floating for thousands of miles in a cockle¬ 
shell, down a turbulent stream, through regions infested 
by savage tribes, yet apparently as easy and unconcerned 
as if navigating securely in the midst of civilization. 

The acquisition of two such hardy, experienced, and 
dauntless hunters was peculiarly desirable at the present 
moment. They needed but little persuasion. The wil¬ 
derness is the home of the trapper; like the sailor, he 
cares but little to which point of the compass he steers; 
and Jones and Carson readily abandoned their voyage to 
St. Louis, and turned their faces towards the Rocky 
Mountains and the Pacific. 

The two naturalists, Mr. Bradbury and Mr. Nuttall, 
who had joined the expedition at St. Louis, still accom¬ 
panied it, and pursued their researches on all occasions. 
Mr. Nuttall seems to have been exclusively devoted to 
his scientific pursuits. He was a zealous botanist, and 
all his enthusiasm was awakened at beholding a new 
world, as it were, opening upon him in the boundless 


ZEAL OF A BOTANIST. 


2*3 

prairies, clad in the vernal and variegated robe of un¬ 
known flowers. Whenever the boats landed at meal 
times, or for any temporary purpose, he would spring on 
shore, and set out on a hunt for new specimens. Every 
plant or flower of a rare or unknown species was eagerly 
seized as a prize. Delighted with the treasures spread¬ 
ing themselves out before him, he went groping and 
stumbling along among the wilderness of sweets, forget¬ 
ful of everything but his immediate pursuit, and had 
often to be sought after when the boats were about to 
resume their course. At such times he would be found 
far off in the prairies, or up the course of some petty 
stream, laden with plants of all kinds. 

The Canadian voyageurs, who are a class of people 
that know nothing out of their immediate line, and with 
constitutional levity make a jest of anything they cannot 
understand, were extremely puzzled by this passion for 
collecting what they considered mere useless weeds. 
When they saw the worthy botanist coming back heavy 
laden with his specimens, and treasuring them up as 
carefully as a miser would his hoard, they used to make 
merry among themselves at his expense, regarding him 
as some whimsical kind of madman. 

Mr. Bradbury was less exclusive in his tastes and 
habits, and combined the hunter and sportsman with the 
naturalist. He took his rifle or his fowling-piece with 
him in his geological researches, conformed to the hardy 
and rugged habits of the men around him, and of course 


244 


ASTORIA. 


gained favor in their eyes. He had a strong relish for 
incident and adventure, was curious in observing savage 
manners, and savage life, and ready to join any hunting 
or other excursion. Even now, that the expedition was 
proceeding through a dangerous neighborhood, he could 
not check his propensity to ramble. Having observed, 
on the evening of the 22d of May, that the river ahead 
made a great bend which would take up the navigation 
of the following day, he determined to profit by the cir¬ 
cumstance. On the morning of the 23d, therefore, in¬ 
stead of embarking, he filled his shot-pouch with parched 
corn, for provisions, and set off to cross the neck on foot 
and meet the boats in the afternoon at the opposite side 
of the bend. Mr. Hunt felt uneasy at his venturing thus 
alone, and reminded him that he was in an enemy’s 
country; but Mr. Bradbury made light of the danger, 
and started off cheerily upon his ramble. His day was 
passed pleasantly in traversing a beautiful tract, making 
botanical and geological researches, and observing the 
habits of an extensive village of prairie dogs, at which 
he made several ineffectual shots, without considering 
the risk he ran of attracting the attention of any savages 
that might be lurking in the neighborhood. In fact he 
had totally forgotten the Sioux Tetons, and all the other 
perils of the country, when, about the middle of the 
afternoon, as he stood near the river bank, and was look¬ 
ing out for the boat, he suddenly felt a hand laid on 
his shoulder. Starting and turning round, he beheld a 


MR. BRADBURY'S ADVENTURE. 


245 


naked savage with a bow bent, and the arrow pointed at 
his breast. In an instant his gun was leveled and his 
hand upon the lock. The Indian drew his bow still fur¬ 
ther, but forebore to launch the shaft. Mr. Bradbury, 
with admirable presence of mind, reflected that the 
savage, if hostile in his intents, would have shot him 
without giving him a chance of defense; he paused, 
therefore, and held out his hand. The other took it in 
sign of friendship, and demanded in the Osage language 
whether he was a Big Knife, or American. He answered 
in the affirmative, and inquired whether the other were a 
Sioux. To his great relief he found that he was a Ponca. 
By this time two other Indians came running up, and all 
three laid hold of Mr. Bradbury and seemed disposed to 
compel him to go off with them among the hills. He 
resisted, and sitting down on a sand hill contrived to 
amuse them with a pocket compass. When the novelty 
of this was exhausted they again seized him, but he now 
produced a small microscope. This new wonder again 
fixed the attention of the savages, who have more curi¬ 
osity than it has been the custom to allow them. While 
thus engaged, one of them suddenly leaped up and gave 
a war-whoop. The hand of the hardy naturalist was 
again on his gun, and he was prepared to make battle, 
when the Indian pointed down the river and revealed the 
true cause of his yell. It was the mast of one of the 
boats appearing above the low willows which bordered 
the stream. Mr. Bradbury felt infinitely relieved by the 


246 


ASTORIA. 


sight. The Indians on their part now showed signs of 
apprehension, and were disposed to run away; but he 
assured them of good treatment and something to drink 
if they would accompany him on board of the boats. 
They lingered for a time, but disappeared before the 
boats came to land. 

On the following morning they appeared at camp ac¬ 
companied by several of their tribe. With them came 
also a white man, who announced himself as a messenger 
bearing missives for Mr. Hunt. In fact he brought a let¬ 
ter from Mr. Manuel Lisa, partner and agent of the Mis¬ 
souri Fur Company. As has already been mentioned, 
this gentleman was going in search of Mr. Henry and his 
party, who had been dislodged from the forks of the Mis¬ 
souri by the Blackfeet Indians, and had shifted his post 
somewhere beyond the Rocky Mountains. Mr. Lisa had 
left St. Louis three weeks after Mr. Hunt, and having 
heard of the hostile intentions of the Sioux, had made the 
greatest exertions to overtake him, that they might pass 
through the dangerous part of the river together. He 
had twenty stout oarsmen in his service and they plied 
their oars so vigorously, that he had reached the Omaha 
village just four days after the departure of Mr. Hunt. 
From this place he despatched the messenger in ques¬ 
tion, trusting to his overtaking the barges as they toiled 
up against the stream, and were delayed by the windings 
of the river. The purport of his letter was to entreat 
Mr. Hunt to wait until he could come up with him, that 


HUNT'S SUSPICIONS OF LISA. 


247 


they might unite their forces and be a protection to each 
other in their perilous course through the country of the 
Sioux. In fact, as it was afterwards ascertained, Lisa 
was apprehensive that Mr. Hunt would do him some ill 
office with the Sioux band, securing his own passage 
through their country by pretending that he, with whom 
they were accustomed to trade, was on his way to them 
with a plentiful supply of goods. He feared, too, that 
Crooks and M’Lellan would take this opportunity to re¬ 
tort upon him the perfidy which they accused him of 
having used, two years previously, among these very 
Sioux. In this respect, however, he did them signal in¬ 
justice. There was no such thing as covert design or 
treachery in their thought; but M’Lellan, when he heard 
that Lisa was on his way up the river, renewed his open 
threat of shooting him the moment he met him on Indian 
land. 

The representations made by Crooks and M’Lellan of 
the treachery they had experienced, or fancied, on the 
part of Lisa, had great weight with Mr. Hunt, especially 
when he recollected the obstacles that had been thrown 
in his own way by that gentleman at St. Louis. He 
doubted, therefore, the fair dealing of Lisa, and feared 
that, should they enter the Sioux country together, the 
latter might make use of his influence with that tribe, as 
he had in the case of Crooks and M’Lellan, and instigate 
them to oppose his progress up the river. 

He sent back, therefore, an answer calculated to beguile 


248 


ASTORIA . 


Lisa, assuring him that he would wait for him at the 
Poncas village, which was but a little distance in ad¬ 
vance ; but, no sooner had the messenger departed, than 
he pushed forward with all diligence, barely stopping at 
the village to procure a supply of dried buffalo meat, and 
hastening to leave the other party as far behind as pos¬ 
sible, thinking there was less to be apprehended from the 
open hostility of Indian foes than from the quiet strategy 
of an Indian trader. 


CHAPTER XVHX 


CAMP GOSSIP. — DESERTERS.—RECRUITS.—KENTUCKY HUNTERS.—A VETER AH 
WOODMAN.—TIDINGS OP MR. HENRY.—DANGER PROM THE BLACKPEET.— 
ALTERATION OP PLANS.—SCENERY OP THE RIVER.—BUPPALO ROADS.—IRON 
ORE.—COUNTRY OP THE SIOUX.—A LAND OP DANGER.—APPREHENSIONS OP 
THE TOYAGEUR3.— INDIAN SCOUTS.—THREATENED HOSTILITIES.—A COUN¬ 
CIL OP WAR.—AN ARRAY OP BATTLE.—A PARLEY.—THE PIPE OP PEACE.— 
SPEECH-MAKING. 

T was about noon when the party left the Pon¬ 
cas village, about a league beyond which they 
passed the month of the Qnicourt, or Rapid 
River (called, in the original French, CEau Qui Court). 
After having proceeded some distance further, they 
landed, and encamped for the night In the evening 
camp, the voyageurs gossiped, as usual, over the events 
of the day; and especially over intelligence picked np 
among the Poncas. These Indians had confirmed the 
previous reports of the hostile intentions of the Sioux, 
and had assured them that five tribes, or bands, of that 
fierce nation were actually assembled higher np the river, 
and waiting to cut them off This evening gossip, and 
the terrific stories of Indian warfare to which it gave rise, 
produced a strong effect upon the imaginations of the 

249 




250 


ASTORIA . 


irresolute ; and in the morning it was discovered that the 
two men, who had joined the party at the Omaha village, 
and been so bounteously fitted out, had deserted in the 
course of the night, carrying with them all their equip¬ 
ments. As it was known that one of them could not 
swim, it was hoped that the banks of the Quicourt Eiver 
would bring them to a halt. A general pursuit was 
therefore instituted, but without success. 

On the following morning (May 26th), as they were all 
on shore, breakfasting on one of the beautiful banks of 
the river, they observed two canoes descending along the 
opposite side. By the aid of spy-glasses, they ascer¬ 
tained that there were two white men in one of the ca¬ 
noes, and one in the other. A gun was discharged, which 
called the attention of the voyagers, who crossed over. 
They proved to be three Kentucky hunters, of the true 
“ dreadnought ” stamp. Their names were Edward Rob¬ 
inson, John Hoback, and Jacob Rizner. Robinson was 
a veteran backwoodsman, sixty-six years of age. He had 
been one of the first settlers of Kentucky, and engaged 
in many of the conflicts of the Indians on “ the Bloody 
Ground.” In one of these battles he had been scalped, 
and he still wore a handkerchief bound round his head 
to protect the part. These men had passed several years 
in the upper wilderness. They had been in the service 
of the Missouri Company under Mr. Henry, and had 
crossed the Rocky Mountains with him in the preceding 
year, when driven from his post on the Missouri by the 


THREE “ DREADNOUGHT ” KENTUCKIANS. 251 

hostilities of the Blackfeet. After crossing the moun¬ 
tains, Mr. Henry had established himself on one of the 
head branches of the Columbia Biver. There they had 
remained with him some months, hunting and trapping, 
until, having satisfied their wandering propensities, they 
felt disposed to return to the families and comfortable 
homes which they had left in Kentucky. They had ac¬ 
cordingly made their way back across the mountains, and 
down the rivers, and were in full career for St. Louis, 
when thus suddenly interrupted. The sight of a power¬ 
ful party of traders, trappers, hunters, and voyageurs, 
well armed and equipped, furnished at all points, in high 
health and spirits, and banqueting lustily on the green 
margin of the river, was a spectacle equally stimulating 
to these veteran backwoodsmen with the glorious array 
of a campaigning army to an old soldier ; but when they 
learned the grand scope and extent of the enterprise in 
hand, it was irresistible ; homes and families and all the 
charms of green Kentucky vanished from their thoughts ; 
they cast loose their canoes to drift down the stream, 
and joyfully enlisted in the band of adventurers. They 
engaged on similar terms with some of the other hunt¬ 
ers. The company was to fit them out, and keep them 
supplied with the requisite equipments and munitions, 
and they were to yield one half of the produce of their 
hunting and trapping. 

The addition of three such staunch recruits was ex¬ 
tremely acceptable at this dangerous part of the river. 


252 


ASTORIA . 


The knowledge of the country which they had acquired* 
also, in their journeys and hunting excursions along the 
rivers and among the Rocky Mountains was all impor¬ 
tant ; in fact, the information derived from them induced 
Mr. Hunt to alter his future course. He had hitherto 
intended to proceed by the route taken by Lewis and 
Clarke in their famous exploring expedition, ascending 
the Missouri to its forks, and thence going, by land, 
across the mountains. These men informed him, how¬ 
ever, that, on taking that course he would have to pass 
through the country invested by the savage tribe of the 
Blackfeet, and would be exposed to their hostilities; 
they being, as has already been observed, exasperated to 
deadly animosity against the whites, on account of the 
death of one of their tribe by the hand of Captain Lewis. 
They advised him rather to pursue a route more to the 
southward, being the same by which they had returned. 
This would carry them over the mountains about where 
the head-waters of the Platte and the Yellowstone take 
their rise, at a place much more easy and practicable 
than that where Lewis and Clarke had crossed. In pur¬ 
suing this course, also, he would pass through a country 
abounding with game, where he would have a better 
chance of procuring a constant supply of provisions than 
by the other route, and would run less risk of molesta¬ 
tion from the Blackfeet. Should he adopt this advice, it 
would be better for him to abandon the river at the 
Arickara town, at which he would arrive in the course of 


SCENERY OF THE RIVER. 


253 


a few days. As the Indians at that town possessed 
horses in abundance, he might purchase a sufficient num¬ 
ber of them for his great journey overland, which would 
commence at that place. 

After reflecting on this advice, and consulting with his 
associates, Mr. Hunt came to the determination to follow 
the route thus pointed out, to which the hunters engaged 
to pilot him. 

The party continued their voyage with delightful May 
weather. The prairies bordering on the river were gayly 
painted with innumerable flowers, exhibiting the motley 
confusion of colors of a Turkey carpet. The beautiful 
islands, also, on which they occasionally halted, presented 
the appearance of mingled grove and garden. The trees 
were often covered with clambering grapevines in blos¬ 
som, which perfumed the air. Between the stately 
masses of the groves were grassy lawns and glades, stud¬ 
ded with flowers, or interspersed with rose-bushes in full 
bloom. These islands were often the resort of the buffalo, 
the elk, and the antelope, who had made innumerable 
paths among the trees and thickets, which had the effect 
of the mazy walks and alleys of parks and shrubberies. 
Sometimes, where the river passed between high banks 
and bluffs, the roads, made by the tramp of buffaloes for 
many ages along the face of the heights, looked like so 
many well-travelled highways. At other places the banks 
were banded with great veins of iron ore, laid bare by 
the abrasion of the river. At one place the course of the 


254 


ASTORIA. 


river was nearly in a straight line for about fifteen miles,. 
The banks sloped gently to its margin, without a single 
tree, but bordered with grass and herbage of a vivid 
green. Along each bank, for the whole fifteen miles, ex¬ 
tended a stripe, one hundred yards in breadth, of a deep 
rusty brown, indicating an inexhaustible bed of iron, 
through the centre of which the Missouri had worn its 
way. Indications of the continuance of this bed were 
afterwards observed higher up the river. It is, in fact, 
one of the mineral magazines which nature has provided 
in the heart of this vast realm of fertility, and which, in 
connection with the immense beds of coal on the same 
river, seem garnered up as the elements of the future 
wealth and power of the mighty West. 

The sight of these mineral treasures greatly excited 
the curiosity of Mr. Bradbury, and it was tantalizing to 
him to be checked in his scientific researches, and obliged 
to forego his usual rambles on shore ; but they were now 
entering the fated country of the Sioux Tetons, in which 
it was dangerous to wander about unguarded. 

This country extends for some days’ journey along the 
river, and consists of vast prairies, here and there diver¬ 
sified by swelling hills, and cut up by ravines, the chan¬ 
nels of turbid streams in the rainy seasons, but almost 
destitute of water during the heats of summer. Here 
and there on the sides of the hills, or along the alluvial 
borders and bottoms of the ravines, are groves and skirts 
of forest: but for the most part the country presented ta 


A LAND OF DANGER. 


255 


the eye a boundless waste, covered with herbage, but 
without trees. 

The soil of this immense region is strongly impreg¬ 
nated with sulphur, copperas, alum, and glauber salts; 
its various earths impart a deep tinge to the streams 
which drain it, and these, with the crumbling of the 
banks along the Missouri, give to the waters of that river 
much of the coloring matter with which they are clouded. 

Over this vast tract the roving bands of the Sioux 
Tetons hold their vagrant sway, subsisting by the chase 
of the buffalo, the elk, the deer, and the antelope, and 
waging ruthless warfare with other wandering tribes. 

As the boats made their way up the stream bordered 
by this land of danger, many of the Canadian voyageurs, 
whose fears had been awakened, would regard with a 
distrustful eye the boundless waste extending on each 
side. All, however, was silent, and apparently unten¬ 
anted by a human being. Now and then a herd of deer 
would be seen feeding tranquilly among the flowery 
herbage, or a line of buffaloes, like a caravan on its 
march, moving across the distant profile of the prairie. 
The Canadians, however, began to apprehend an ambush 
in every thicket, and to regard the broad, tranquil plain 
as a sailor eyes some shallow and perfidious sea, which, 
though smooth and safe to the eye, conceals the lurking 
rock or treacherous shoal. The very name of a Sioux 
became a watchword of terror. Not an elk, a wolf, or 
any other animal, could appear on the hills, but the 


256 


ASTORIA. 


Tboats resounded with exclamations from stem to stern, 
“ voila les Sioux ! voila les Sioux ! ” (there are the Sioux ! 
there are the Sioux !) Whenever it was practicable, the 
night encampment was on some island in the centre of 
the stream. 

On the morning of the 31st of May, as the travellers 
were breakfasting on the right bank of the river, the 
usual alarm was given, but with more reason, as two 
Indians actually made their appearance on a bluff on the 
opposite or northeast side, and harangued them in a loud 
voice. As it was impossible at that distance to distin¬ 
guish what they said, Mr. Hunt, after breakfast, crossed 
the river with Pierre Dorion, the interpreter, and ad¬ 
vanced boldly to converse with them, while the rest 
remained watching in mute suspense the movements of 
the parties. As soon as Mr. Hunt landed, one of the 
Indians disappeared behind the hill, but shortly reap¬ 
peared on horseback, and went scouring off across the 
heights. Mr. Hunt held some conference with the re¬ 
maining savage, and then recrossed the river to his 
party. 

These two Indians proved to be spies or scouts of a 
large war party encamped about a league off, and num¬ 
bering two hundred and eighty lodges, or about six hun¬ 
dred warriors, of three different tribes of Sioux; the 
Yangtons Ahna, the Tetons Bois-brule, and the Tetons 
Min-na-kine-azzo. They expected daily to be reinforced 
by two other tribes, and had been waiting eleven days 


THREATENED HOSTILITIES. 


257 


for the arrival of Mr. Hunt’s party, with a determination 
to oppose their progress up the river; being resolved to 
prevent all trade of the white men with their enemies 
the Arickaras, Mandans, and Minatarees. The Indian 
who had galloped off on horseback had gone to give 
notice of the approach of the party, so that they might 
now look out for some fierce scenes with those piratical 
savages, of whom they had received so many formidable 
accounts. 

The party braced up their spirits to the encounter, 
and reembarking, pulled resolutely up the stream. An 
island for some time intervened between them and the 
opposite side of the river; but on clearing the upper 
end, they came in full view of the hostile shore. There 
was a ridge of hills down which the savages were pour¬ 
ing in great numbers, some on horseback, and some on 
foot. Reconnoitring them with the aid of glasses, they 
perceived that they were all in warlike array, painted 
and decorated for battle. Their weapons were bows and 
arrows, and a few short carbines, and most of them had 
round shields. Altogether they had a wild and gallant 
appearance, and, taking possession of a point which com¬ 
manded the river, ranged themselves along the bank as 
if prepared to dispute their passage. 

At sight of this formidable front of war, Mr. Hunt and 
his companions held counsel together. It was plain that 
the rumors they had heard were correct, and the Sioux 
were determined to oppose their progress by force of 
17 


258 


A8T0BIA . 


arms. To attempt to elude them and continue along the 
river was out of the question. The strength of the mid¬ 
current was too violent to be withstood, and the boats 
were obliged to ascend along the river banks. These 
banks were often high and perpendicular, affording the 
savages frequent stations, from whence, safe themselves, 
and almost unseen, they might shower down their mis¬ 
siles upon the boats below, and retreat at will, without 
danger from pursuit. Nothing apparently remained, 
therefore, but to fight or turn back. The Sioux far out¬ 
numbered them, it is true, but their own party was about 
sixty strong, well armed and supplied with ammunition ; 
and, beside their guns and rifles, they had a swivel and 
two howitzers mounted in the boats. Should they suc¬ 
ceed in breaking this Indian force by one vigorous 
assault, it was likely they would be deterred from 
making any future attack of consequence. The fighting 
alternative was, therefore, instantly adopted, and the 
boats pulled to shore nearly opposite to the hostile 
force. Here the arms were all examined and put in 
order. The swivel and howitzers were then loaded with 
powder and discharged, to let the savages know by the 
report how formidably they were provided. The noise 
echoed along the shores of the river, and must have 
. startled the warriors who were only accustomed to sharp 
v reports of rifles. The same pieces were then loaded with 
as many bullets as they would probably bear; after 
which the whole party embarked, and pulled across tha 


A PARLEY. 


259 


river. The Indians remained watching them in silence, 
their painted forms and visages glaring in the sun, and 
their feathers fluttering in the breeze. The poor Cana¬ 
dians eyed them with rueful glances, and now and then a 
fearful ejaculation escaped them. “Parbleu! this is a 
sad scrape we are in, brother! ” one would mutter to the 
next oarsman. “ Aye, aye ! ” the other would reply, “ we 
are not going to a wedding, my friend! ” 

When the boats arrived within rifle-shot, the hunters 
and other fighting personages on board seized their 
weapons, and prepared for action. As they rose to fire, 
a confusion took place among the savages. They dis¬ 
played their buffalo robes, raised them with both hands 
above their heads, and then spread them before them on 
the ground. At sight of this, Pierre Dorion eagerly 
cried out to the party not to fire, as this movement was a 
peaceful signal, and an invitation to a parley. Immedi¬ 
ately about a dozen of the principal warriors, separating 
from the rest, descended to the edge of the river, lighted 
a fire, seated themselves in a semicircle round it, and, 
displaying the calumet, invited the party to land. Mr. 
Hunt now called a council of the partners on board of 
his boat. The question was, whether to trust to the 
amicable overtures of these ferocious people ? It was 
determined in the affirmative; for, otherwise, there was 
no alternative but to fight them. The main body of the 
party were ordered to remain on board of the boats, 
keeping within shot and prepared to fire in case of any 


260 


ASTORIA. 


signs of treachery; while Mr. Hunt and the other part* 
ners (M’Kenzie, Crooks, Miller, and M’Lellan) proceeded 
to land, accompanied by the interpreter and Mr. Brad¬ 
bury. The chiefs, who awaited them on the margin of 
the river, remained seated in their semicircle, without 
stirring a limb or moving a muscle, motionless as so 
many statues. Mr. Hunt and his companions advanced 
without hesitation, and took their seats on the sand so as 
to complete the circle. The band of warriors who lined 
the banks above stood looking down in silent groups and 
clusters, some ostentatiously equipped and decorated, 
others entirely naked but fantastically painted, and all 
variously armed. 

The pipe of peace was now brought forward with due 
ceremony. The bowl was of a species of red stone re¬ 
sembling porphyry; the stem was six feet in length, 
decorated with tufts of horse-hair dyed red. The pipe- 
bearer stepped within the circle, lighted the pipe, held 
it towards the sun, then towards the different points of 
the compass, after which he handed it to the principal 
chief. The latter smoked a few whiffs, then, holding the 
head of the pipe in his hand, offered the other end to 
Mr. Hunt, and to each one successively in the circle. 
When all had smoked, it was considered that an assur¬ 
ance of good faith and amity had been interchanged. 
Mr. Hunt now made a speech in French, which was in¬ 
terpreted as he proceeded by Pierre Dorion. He in¬ 
formed the Sioux of the real object of the expedition of 


SPEECH-MAKING. 


261 


himself and his companions, which was, not to trade with 
any of the tribes up the river, but to cross the moun¬ 
tains to the great salt lake in the west, in search of some 
of their brothers, whom they had not seen for eleven 
months. That he had heard of the intention of the Sioux 
to oppose his passage, and was prepared, as they might 
see, to effect it at all hazards; nevertheless, his feelings 
towards the Sioux were friendly, in proof of which he 
had brought them a present of tobacco and corn. So 
saying, he ordered about fifteen carottes of tobacco, and 
as many bags of corn, to be brought from the boat and 
laid in a heap near the council fire. 

The sight of these presents mollified the chieftain, who 
had, doubtless, been previously rendered considerate by 
the resolute conduct of the white men, the judicious dis¬ 
position of their little armament, the completeness of 
their equipments, and the compact array of battle which 
they presented. He made a speech in reply, in which he 
stated the object of their hostile assemblage, which had 
been merely to prevent supplies of arms and ammunition 
from going to the Arickaras, Mandans, and Minatarees, 
with whom they were at war; but being now convinced 
that the party were carrying no supplies of the kind, but 
merely proceeding in quest of their brothers beyond the 
mountains, they would not impede them in their voyage. 
He concluded by thanking them for their present, and ad¬ 
vising them to encamp on the opposite side of the river, 
as he had some young men among his warriors for whose 


262 


ASTORIA. 


discretion lie could not be answerable, and who might be 
troublesome. 

Here ended the conference: they all arose, shook 
hands, and parted. Mr. Hunt and his companions re¬ 
embarked, and the boats proceeded on their course un¬ 
molested. 


CHAPTEK XIX. 


THE GREAT BEND OF THE MISSOURI.—CROOKS ANT) M’LELLAN MEET WITH 
TWO OF THEIR INDIAN OPPONENTS.—WANTON OUTRAGE OF A WHITE MAN 
THE CAUSE OF INDIAN HOSTILITY.—DANGERS AND PRECAUTIONS.—AN IN¬ 
DIAN WAR PARTY.—DANGEROUS SITUATION OF MR. HUNT.—A FRIENDLY 
ENCAMPMENT.—FEASTING AND DANCING.—APPROACH OF MANUEL LISA AND 
HIS PARTY.—A GRIM MEETING BETWEEN OLD RIVALS.—PIERRE DORION IN 
A FURY.—A BURST OF CHIVALRY. 


N the afternoon of the following day (June 1st) 
they arrived at the great bend, where the river 
winds for about thirty miles round a circular 
peninsula, the neck of which is not above two thousand 
yards across. On the succeeding morning, at an early 
hour, they descried two Indians standing on a high bank 
of the river, waving and spreading their buffalo robes in 
signs of amity. They immediately pulled to shore and 
landed. On approaching the savages, however, the latter 
showed evident symptoms of alarm, spreading out their 
arms horizontally, according to their mode of supplicat¬ 
ing clemency. The reason was soon explained. They 
proved to be two chiefs of the very war party that had 
brought Messrs. Crooks and M’Lellan to a stand two 
years before, and obliged them to escape down the river. 

263 












264 


ASTORIA . 


They ran to embrace these gentlemen, as if delighted to 
meet with them; yet they evidently feared some retali¬ 
ation of their past misconduct, nor were they quite at ease 
until the pipe of peace had been smoked. 

Mr. Hunt having been informed that the tribe to which 
these men belonged had killed three white men during 
the preceding summer, reproached them with the crime, 
and demanded their reasons for such savage hostility. 
“ We kill white men,” replied one of the chiefs, “ because 
white men kill us. That very man,” added he, pointing 
to Carson, one of the new recruits, “ killed one of our 
brothers last summer. The three white men were slain 
to avenge his death.” 

Their chief was correct in his reply. Carson admitted 
that, being with a party of Arickaras on the banks of the 
Missouri, and seeing a war party of Sioux on the op¬ 
posite side, he had fired with his rifle across. It was a 
random shot, made without much expectation of effect, 
for the river was full half a mile in breadth. Unluckily 
it brought down a Sioux warrior, for whose wanton de¬ 
struction threefold vengeance had been taken, as has 
been stated. In this way outrages are frequently com¬ 
mitted on the natives by thoughtless or mischievous 
white men; the Indians retaliate according to a law of 
their code, which requires blood for blood ; their act, of 
what with them is pious vengeance, resounds throughout 
the land, and is represented as wanton and unprovoked; 
the neighborhood is roused to arms ; a war ensues, which 


DANGERS AND PREGA UTIONS. 


265 


ends in tlie destruction of half the tribe, the ruin of the 
rest, and their expulsion from their hereditary homes. 
Such is too often the real history of Indian warfare, 
which in general is traced up only to some vindictive act 
of a savage; while the outrage of the scoundrel white 
man that provoked it is sunk in silence. 

The two chiefs, having smoked their pipe of peace and 
received a few presents, departed well satisfied. In a 
little while two others appeared on horseback, and rode 
up abreast of the boats. They had seen the presents 
given to their comrades, but were dissatisfied with them, 
and came after the boats to ask for more. Being some¬ 
what peremptory and insolent in their demands, Mr. 
Hunt gave them a flat refusal, and threatened, if they or 
any of their tribe followed him with similar demands, to 
treat them as enemies. They turned and rode off in a 
furious passion. As he was ignorant what force these 
chiefs might have behind the hills, and as it was very 
possible they might take advantage of some pass of the 
river to attack the boats, Mr. Hunt called all stragglers 
on board and prepared for such emergency. It was 
agreed that the large boat commanded by Mr. Hunt 
should ascend along the northeast side of the river, and 
the three smaller boats along the south side. By this 
arrangement each party would command a view of the 
opposite heights above the heads and out of sight 
of their companions, and could give the alarm should 
they perceive any Indians lurking there. The signal 


266 


ASTORIA. 


of alarm was to be two sbots fired in quick succes¬ 
sion. 

The boats proceeded for the greater part of the day 
without seeing any signs of an enemy. About four 
o’clock in the afternoon the large boat, commanded by 
Mr. Hunt, came to where the river was divided by a long 
sand-bar, which apparently, however, left a sufficient 
channel between it and the shore along which they were 
advancing. He kept up this channel, therefore, for some 
distance, until the water proved too shallow for the boat. 
It was necessary, therefore, to put about, return down 
the channel, and pull round the lower end of the sand¬ 
bar into the main stream. Just as he had given orders 
to this effect to his men, two signal guns were fired from 
the boats on the opposite side of the river. At the same 
moment, a file of savage warriors was observed pouring 
down from the impending bank, and gathering on the 
shore at the lower end of the bar. They were evidently 
a war party, being armed with bows and arrows, battle 
clubs and carbines, and round bucklers of buffalo hide, 
and their naked bodies were painted with black and 
white stripes. The natural inference was, that they 
belonged to the two tribes of Sioux which had been ex¬ 
pected by the great war party, and that they had been 
incited to hostility by the two chiefs who had been 
enraged by the refusal and the menace of Mr. Hunt 
Here then was a fearful predicament. Mr. Hunt and his 
crew seemed caught, as it were, in a trap. The Indians, 


INDIAN FRIENDS. 


267 


to the number of about a hundred, had already taken 
possession of a point near which the boat would have to 
pass: others kept pouring down the bank, and it was 
probable that some would remain posted on the top of 
the height. 

The hazardous situation of Mr. Hunt was perceived by 
those in the other boats, and they hastened to his assist¬ 
ance. They were at some distance above the sand-bar, 
however, and on the opposite side of the river, and saw, 
with intense anxiety, the number of savages continually 
augmenting, at the lower end of the channel, so that the 
boat would be exposed to a fearful attack before they 
could render it any assistance. Their anxiety increased, 
as they saw Mr. Hunt and his party descending the 
channel and dauntlessly approaching the point of 
danger; but it suddenly changed into surprise on be¬ 
holding the boat pass close by the savage horde unmo¬ 
lested, and steer out safely into the broad river. 

The next moment the whole band of warriors was in 
motion. They ran along the bank until they were oppo¬ 
site to the boats, then throwing by their weapons and 
buffalo robes, plunged into the river, waded and swam 
off to the boats and surrounded them in crowds, seeking 
to shake hands with every individual on board; for the 
Indians have long since found this to be the white man’s 
token of amity, and they carry it to an extreme. 

All uneasiness was now at an end. The Indians proved 
to be a war party of Arickaras, Mandans, and Minatarees, 


268 


ASTORIA. 


consisting of three hundred warriors, and bound on a 
foray against the Sioux. Their war plans were aban¬ 
doned for the present, and they determined to return to 
the Arickara town, where they hoped to obtain from the 
white men arms and ammunition that would enable them 
to take the field with advantage over their enemies. 

The boats now sought the first convenient place for 
encamping. The tents were pitched; the warriors fixed 
their camp at about a hundred yards distant; provisions 
were furnished from the boats sufficient for all parties; 
there was hearty though rude feasting in both camps, 
and in the evening the red warriors entertained their 
white friends with dances and songs, that lasted until 
after midnight. 

On the following morning (July 3) the travellers re¬ 
embarked, and took a temporary leave of their Indian 
friends, who intended to proceed immediately for the 
Arickara town, where they expected to arrive in three 
days, long before the boats could reach there. Mr. Hunt 
had not proceeded far before the chief came galloping 
along the shore and made signs for a parley. He said, 
his people could not go home satisfied unless they had 
something to take with them to prove that they had met 
with the white men. Mr. Hunt understood the drift of 
the speech, and made the chief a present of a cask of 
powder, a bag of balls, and three dozen of knives, with 
which he was highly pleased. While the chief was re¬ 
ceiving these presents an Indian came running along the 


APPROACH OF LISA. 


269 


shore, and announced that a boat, filled with white men, 
was coming up the river. This was by no means agreea¬ 
ble tidings to Mr. Hunt, who correctly concluded it to be 
the boat of Mr. Manuel Lisa; and he was vexed to find 
that alert and adventurous trader upon his heels, whom 
he hoped to have out-maneuvered, and left far behind. 
Lisa, however, was too much experienced in the wiles of 
Indian trade to be lulled by the promise of waiting for 
him at the Poncas village; on the contrary, he had al¬ 
lowed himself no repose, and had strained every nerve 
to overtake the rival party, and availing himself of the 
moonlight, had even sailed during a considerable part of 
the night. In this he was partly prompted by his ap¬ 
prehensions of the Sioux, having met a boat which had 
probably passed Mr. Hunt’s party in the night, and which 
had been fired into by these savages. 

On hearing that Lisa was so near at hand, Mr. Hunt 
perceived that it was useless to attempt any longer to 
evade him ; after proceeding a few miles further, there¬ 
fore, he came to a halt and waited for him to come up. 
In a little while the barge of Lisa made its appearance. 
It came sweeping gently up the river, manned by its 
twenty stout oarsmen, and armed by a swivel mounted at 
the bow. The whole number on board amounted to 
twenty-six men : among whom was Mr. Henry Brecken- 
ridge, then a young, enterprising man; who was a mere 
passenger, tempted by notions of curiosity to accompany 
Mr. Lisa. He has since made himself known by various 


270 ASTORIA. 

writings, among which may be noted a narrative of this 
very voyage. 

The approach of Lisa, while it was regarded with un¬ 
easiness by Mr. Hunt, roused the ire of M’Lellan ; who, 
calling to mind old grievances, began to look round for 
his rifle, as if he really intended to carry his threat into 
execution and shoot him on the spot; and it was with 
some difficulty that Mr. Hunt was enabled to restrain his 
ire, and prevent a scene of outrage and confusion. 

The meeting between the two leaders, thus mutually 
distrustful, could not be very cordial: and as to Messrs. 
Crooks and M’Lellan, though they refrained from any 
outbreak, yet they regarded in grim defiance their old 
rival and underplotter. In truth a general distrust pre¬ 
vailed throughout the party concerning Lisa and his 
intentions. They considered him artful and slippery, 
and secretly anxious for the failure of their expedition. 
There being now nothing more to be apprehended from 
the Sioux, they suspected that Lisa would take advan¬ 
tage of his twenty-oared barge to leave them and get first 
among the Arickaras. As he had traded with those peo¬ 
ple and possessed great influence over them, it was 
feared he might make use of it to impede the busi¬ 
ness of Mr. Hunt and his party. It was resolved, there¬ 
fore, to keep a sharp look-out upon his movements ; and 
M’Lellan swore that if he saw the least sign of treachery 
on his part, he would instantly put his old threat inta 
execution. 


THE RAGE OF PIERRE DORION . 


271 


Notwithstanding these secret jealousies and heart' 
burnings, the two parties maintained an outward appear ^ 
ance of civility, and for two days continued forward in 
company with some degree of harmony. On the third day, 
however, an explosion took place, and it was produced 
by no less a personage than Pierre Dorion, the half- 
breed interpreter. It will be recollected that this 
worthy had been obliged to steal a march from St. 
Louis, to avoid being arrested for an old whiskey debt 
which he owed to the Missouri Fur Company, and by 
which Mr. Lisa had hoped to prevent his enlisting in Mr. 
Hunt’s expedition. Dorion, since the arrival of Lisa, 
had kept aloof and regarded him with a sullen and 
dogged aspect. On the fifth of July the two parties were 
brought to a halt by a heavy rain, and remained en¬ 
camped about a hundred yards apart. In the course of 
the day Lisa undertook to tamper with the faith of 
Pierre Dorion, and, inviting him on board of his boat, 
regaled him with his favorite whiskey. When he 
thought him sufficiently mellowed, he proposed to him to 
quit the service of his new employers and return to his 
old allegiance. Finding him not to be moved by soft 
words, he called to mind his old debt to the company, 
and threatened to carry him off by force, in payment of 
it. The mention of this debt always stirred up the gall 
of Pierre Dorion, bringing with it the remembrance of the 
whiskey extortion. A violent quarrel arose between him 
and Lisa, and he left the boat in high dudgeon. His 


272 


ASTORIA. 


first step was to repair to the tent of Mr. Hunt and 
reveal the attempt that had been made to shake his 
faith. While he was yet talking Lisa entered the tent, 
under the pretext of coming to borrow a towing line. 
High words instantly ensued between him and Dorion, 
which ended by the half-breed’s dealing him a blow. A 
quarrel in the “Indian country,” however, is not to be 
settled with fisticuffs. Lisa immediately rushed to his 
boat for a weapon. Dorion snatched up a pair of pistols 
belonging to Mr. Hunt, and placed himself in battle 
array. The noise had roused the camp, and every one 
pressed to know* the cause. Lisa now reappeared upon 
the field with a knife stuck in his girdle. Mr. Brecken- 
ridge, who had tried in vain to mollify his ire, accom¬ 
panied him to the scene of action. Pierre Dorion’s pis¬ 
tols gave him the advantage, and he maintained a most 
warlike attitude. In the meantime, Crooks and M’Lellan 
had learnt the cause of the affray, and were each eager to 
take the quarrel into their own hands. A scene of up¬ 
roar and hubbub ensued that defies description. M’Lel¬ 
lan w r ould have brought his rifle into play and settled all 
old and new grudges by a pull of the trigger, had he not 
been restrained by Mr. Hunt. That gentleman acted as 
moderator, endeavoring to prevent a general melee; in 
the midst of the brawl, however, an expression was made 
use of by Lisa derogatory to his own honor. In an in¬ 
stant the tranquil spirit of Mr. Hunt was in a flame. He 
now became as eager for the fight as any one on the 


LISA CHALLENGED BY HUNT. 


273 


ground, and challenged Lisa to settle the dispute on the 
spot with pistols. Lisa repaired to his boat to arm him¬ 
self for the deadly feud. He was followed by Messrs. 
Bradbury and Breckenridge, who, novices in Indian life 
and the “ chivalry ” of the frontier, had no relish for 
scenes of blood and brawl. By their earnest mediation 
the quarrel was brought to a close without bloodshed, 
but the two leaders of the rival camps separated in 
anger, and all personal intercourse ceased between them 
18 


CHAPTER XX 


FEATURES OF THE WILDERNESS.— HERDS OF BUFFALO.—ANTELOPES.—THEIR 
VARIETIES AND HABITS.—JOHN DAY.—HIS HUNTING STRATAGEM.—INTER 
VIEW WITH THREE ARICKARAS.—NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE RIVAL PAR¬ 
TIES.—THE LEFT-HANDED AND THE BIG MAN, TWO ARICKARA CHIEFS.— 
ARICKARA VILLAGE.— ITS INHABITANTS.—CEREMONIALS ON LANDING.—A 
COUNCIL LODGE.—GRAND CONFERENCE.—SPEECH OF LISA.—NEGOTIATION 
FOR HORSES.—SHREWD SUGGESTION OF GRAY EXES, AN ARICKARA CHIEF.— 
ENCAMPMENT OF THE TRADING PARTIES. 


HE rival parties now coasted along the opposite 
sides of the river, within sight of each other ; 
the barges of Mr. Hunt always keeping some 
in the advance, lest Lisa should push on and 
get first to the Arickara village. The scenery and ob¬ 
jects, as they proceeded, gave evidence that they were 
advancing deeper and deeper into the domains of savage 
nature. Boundless wastes kept extending to the eye, 
more and more animated by herds of buffalo. Sometimes 
these unwieldy animals were seen moving in long pro¬ 
cession across the silent landscape; at other times they 
were scattered about, singly or in groups, on the broad, 
enameled prairies and green acclivities, some cropping 
the rich pasturage, others reclining amidst the flowery 

274 



distance 









BUFFALOES, DEER, AND ANTELOPES. 275 

herbage ; the whole scene realizing in a manner the old 
Scriptural descriptions of the vast pastoral countries of 
the Orient, with “ cattle upon a thousand hills.” 

At one place the shores seemed absolutely lined with 
buffaloes; many were making their way across the 
stream, snorting, and blowing, and floundering. Num¬ 
bers, in spite of every effort, were borne by the rapid 
current within shot of the boats, and several were killed. 
At another place a number were descried on the beach of 
a small island, under the shade of the trees, or standing 
in the water, like cattle, to avoid the flies and the heat of 
the day. 

Several of the best marksmen stationed themselves in 
the bow of a barge which advanced slowly and silently, 
stemming the current with the aid of a broad sail and a 
fair breeze. The buffaloes stood gazing quietly at the 
barge as it approached, perfectly unconscious of their 
danger. The fattest of the herd was selected by the 
hunters, who all fired together and brought down their 
victim. 

Beside the buffaloes they saw abundance of deer, and 
frequent gangs of stately elks, together with light troops 
of sprightly antelopes, the fleetest and most beautiful in¬ 
habitants of the prairies. 

There are two kinds of antelopes in these regions, one 
nearly the size of the common deer, the other not much 
larger than a goat. Their color is a light gray, or rather 
dun, slightly spotted with white ; and they have small 


276 


ASTORIA . 


horns like those of the deer, which they never shed 
Nothing can surpass the delicate and elegant finish of 
their limbs, in which lightness, elasticity, and strength 
are wonderfully combined. All the attitudes and move¬ 
ments of this beautiful animal are graceful and pictur¬ 
esque ; and it is altogether as fit a subject for the fanci¬ 
ful uses of the poet as the oft-sung gazelle of the East. 

Their habits are shy and capricious ; they keep on the 
open plains, are quick to take the alarm, and bound away 
with a fleetness that defies pursuit. When thus skim¬ 
ming across a prairie in the autumn, their light gray or 
dun color blends with the hue of the withered herbage, 
the swiftness of their motion baffles the eye, and they 
almost seem unsubstantial forms, driven like gossamer 
before the wind. 

While they thus keep to the open plain and trust to 
their speed, they are safe; but they have a prurient 
curiosity that sometimes betrays them to their ruin. 
When they have scud for some distance and left their 
pursuer behind, they will suddenly stop and turn to gaze 
at the object of their alarm. If the pursuit is not fol¬ 
lowed up they will, after a time, yield to their inquisitive 
hankering, and return to the place from whence they 
have been frightened. 

John Day, the veteran hunter already mentioned, dis¬ 
played his experience and skill in entrapping one of 
these beautiful animals. Taking advantage of its well 
known curiosity, he laid down flat among the grass, and 


INTERVIEW WITH THREE ARICKARAS. 277 

putting his handkerchief on the end of his ramrod, waved 
it gently in the air. This had the effect of the fabled 
fascination of the rattlesnake. The antelope approached 
timidly, pausing and reconnoitring with increased curi¬ 
osity ; moving round the point of attraction in a circle, 
but still drawing nearer and nearer, until being within 
range of the deadly rifle, he fell a victim to his curi¬ 
osity. 

On the 10th of June, as the party were making brisk 
progress with a fine breeze, they met a canoe with three 
Indians descending the river. They came to a parley, 
and brought news from the Arickara village. The war 
party, which had caused such alarm at the sand-bar, had 
reached the village some days previously, announced the 
approach of a party of traders, and displayed with great 
ostentation the presents they had received from them. 
On further conversation with these three Indians, Mr. 
Hunt learnt the real danger which he had run, when 
hemmed up within the sand-bar. The Mandans who 
were of the war party, when they saw the boat so com¬ 
pletely entrapped and apparently within their power, had 
been eager for attacking it, and securing so rich a prize. 
The Minatarees, also, were nothing loth, feeling in some 
measure committed in hostility to the whites, in conse¬ 
quence of their tribe having killed two white men above 
the fort of the Missouri Fur Company. Fortunately, 
the Arickaras, who formed the majority of the war party, 
proved true in their friendship to the whites, and pre- 


278 


ASTORIA . 


vented any hostile act, otherwise a bloody affray, and 
perhaps a horrible massacre might have ensued. 

On the 11th of June, Mr. Hunt and his companions 
encamped near an island about six miles below the 
Arickara village. Mr. Lisa encamped, as usual, at no 
great distance ; but the same sullen and jealous reserve, 
and non-intercourse continued between them. Shortly 
after pitching the tents, Mr. Breckenridge made his ap¬ 
pearance as an ambassador from the rival camp. He 
came on behalf of his companions, to arrange the manner 
of making their entrance into the village and of receiving 
the chiefs ; for everything of the kind is a matter of 
grave ceremonial among the Indians. 

The partners now expressed frankly their deep distrust 
of the intentions of Mr. Lisa, and their apprehensions, 
that, out of the jealousy of trade, and resentment of re¬ 
cent disputes, he might seek to instigate the Arickaras 
against them. Mr. Breckenridge assured them that their 
suspicions were entirely groundless, and pledged himself 
that nothing of the kind should take place. He found it 
difficult, however, to remove their distrust; the confer¬ 
ence, therefore, ended without producing any cordial un¬ 
derstanding ; and M’Lellan recurred to his old threat of 
shooting Lisa the instant he discovered anything like 
treachery in his proceedings. 

That night the rain fell in torrents, accompanied by 
thunder and lightning. The camp was deluged, and the 
bedding and baggage drenched. All hands embarked at 


AN ARICKARA EMBASSY. 


279 


an early hour, and set forward for the village. About 
nine o’clock, when half way, they met a canoe, on board 
of which were two Arickara dignitaries. One, a fine- 
looking man, much above the common size, was hered¬ 
itary chief of the village; he was called the Left-handed, 
on account of a personal peculiarity. The other, a fero¬ 
cious-looking savage, was the war chief, or generalissimo ; 
he was known by the name of the Big Man, an appella¬ 
tion he well deserved from his size, for he was of a gigan¬ 
tic frame. Both were of fairer complexion than is usual 
with savages. 

They were accompanied by an interpreter; a French 
creole, one of those haphazard wights of Gallic origin 
who abound upon our frontier, living among the In¬ 
dians like one of their own race. He had been twenty 
years among the Arickaras, had a squaw and troop of 
piebald children, and officiated as interpreter to the 
chiefs. Through this worthy organ the two dignitaries 
signified to Mr. Hunt their sovereign intention to oppose 
the further progress of the expedition up the river unless 
a boat were left to trade with them. Mr. Hunt in reply, 
explained the object of his voyage, and his intention of 
debarking at their village and proceeding thence by land; 
and that he would willingly trade with them for a supply 
of horses for his journey. With this explanation they 
were perfectly satisfied, and putting about, steered for 
their village to make preparations for the reception of 
the strangers. 


280 


ASTORIA. 


The village of the Rikaras, Arickaras, or Ricarees, for 
the name is thus variously written, is between the 46th 
and 47th parallels of north latitude, and fourteen hun- 
dren and thirty miles above the mouth of the Missouri. 
The party reached it about ten o’clock in the morning, 
but landed on the opposite side of the river, where they 
spread out their baggage and effects to dry. From hence 
they commanded an excellent view of the village. It was 
divided into two portions, about eighty yards apart, be¬ 
ing inhabited by two distinct bands. The whole extended 
about three-quarters of a mile along the river bank, and 
was composed of conical lodges, that looked like so many 
small hillocks, being wooden frames intertwined with 
osier, and covered with earth. The plain beyond the 
village swept up into hills of considerable height, but 
the whole country was nearly destitute of trees. While 
they were regarding the village, they beheld a singular 
fleet coming down the river. It consisted of a number 
of canoes, each made of a single buffalo hide stretched 
on sticks, so as to form a kind of circular trough. Each 
one was navigated by a single squaw, who knelt in the 
bottom and paddled; towing after her frail bark a bun¬ 
dle of floating wood intended for firing. This kind of 
canoe is in frequent use among the Indians; the buffalo 
hide being readily made up into a bundle and transported 
on horseback; it is very serviceable in conveying bag¬ 
gage across the rivers. 

The great number of horses grazing around the village, 


“ THE LEFT-HANDED INVITATION .” 281 

and scattered over the neighboring hills and valleys, be¬ 
spoke the equestrian habit of the Arickaras, who are 
admirable horsemen. Indeed, in the number of his 
horses consists the wealth of an Indian of the prai¬ 
ries ; who resembles an Arab in his passion for this 
noble animal, and in his adroitness in the management 
of it. 

After a time, the voice of the sovereign chief, “the 
Left-handed,” was heard across the river, announcing 
that the council lodge was preparing, and inviting the 
white men to come over. The river was half a mile in 
width, yet every word uttered by the chieftain was heard; 
this may be partly attributed to the distinct manner in 
which every syllable of the compound words in the In¬ 
dian languages is articulated and accented ; but in truth, 
a savage warrior might often rival Achilles himself for 
force of lungs.* 

Now came the delicate point of management—how the 
two rival parties were to conduct their visit to the village 
with proper circumspection and due decorum. Neither 
of the leaders had spoken to each other since their quar¬ 
rel. All communication had been by ambassadors. See¬ 
ing the jealousy entertained of Lisa, Mr. Breckenridge, 
in his negotiation, had arranged that a deputation from 
each party should cross the river at the same time, so 
that neither would have the first access to the ear of the 
Arickaras. 


Bradbury, p. 110. 


282 


ASTORIa. 


The distrust of Lisa, however, had increased in pro¬ 
portion as they approached the sphere of action; and 
M’Lellan, in particular, kept a vigilant eye upon his 
motions, swearing to shoot him if he attempted to cross 
the river first. 

About two o’clock the large boat of Mr. Hunt was 
manned, and he stepped on board, accompanied by 
Messrs. M’Kenzie and M’Lellan ; Lisa at the same time 
embarked in his barge ; the two deputations amounted in 
all to fourteen persons, and never was any movement of 
rival potentates conducted with more wary exactness. 

They landed amidst a rabble crowd, and were received 
on the bank by the left-handed chief, who conducted 
them into the village with grave courtesy ; driving to the 
right and left the swarms of old squaws, imp-like boys, 
and vagabond dogs, with which the place abounded. 
They wound their way between the cabins, which looked 
like dirt-heaps huddled together without any plan, and 
surrounded by old palisades ; all filthy in the extreme, 
and redolent of villainous smells. 

At length they arrived at the council lodge. It was 
somewhat spacious, and formed of four forked trwnks of 
trees placed upright, supporting cross-beams and a frame 
of poles interwoven with osiers, and the whole covered 
with earth. A hole sunken in the centre formed the fire¬ 
place, and immediately above was a circular hole in the 
apex of the lodge, to let out the smoke and let in the 
daylight. Around the lodge were recesses for sleeping, 


GRAND CONFERENCE. 


283 


like tlie berths on board ships, screened from view by 
curtains of dressed skins. At the upper end of the lodge 
was a kind of hunting and warlike trophy, consisting of 
two buffalo heads gairishly painted, surmounted by 
shields, bows, quivers of arrows, and other weapons. 

On entering the lodge the chief pointed to mats or 
cushions which had been placed around for the strangers, 
and on which they seated themselves, while he placed 
himself on a kind of stool. An old man th6n came for¬ 
ward with the pipe of peace or good-fellowship, lighted 
and handed it to the chief, and then falling back, squatted 
himself near the door. The pipe was passed from mouth 
to mouth, each one taking a whiff, which is equivalent to 
the inviolable pledge of faith, of taking salt together 
among the ancient Britons. The chief then made a sign 
to the old pipe-bearer, who seemed to fill, likewise, the 
station of herald, seneschal, and public crier, for he 
ascended to the top of the lodge to make proclamation. 
Here he took his post beside the aperture for the emis¬ 
sion of smoke and the admission of light; the chief 
dictated from within what he was to proclaim, and he 
bawled it forth with a force of lungs that resounded over 
all the village. In this way he summoned the warriors 
and great men to council; every now and then reporting 
progress to his chief through the hole in the roof. 

In a little while the braves and sages began to enter 
one by one, as their names were called or announced, 
emerging from under the buffalo robe suspended over 


•284 


ASTORIA . 


the entrance instead of a door, stalking across the lodge 
to the skins placed on the floor, and crouching down on 
them in silence. In this way twenty entered and took 
their seats, forming an assemblage worthy of the pencil : 
for the Arickaras are a noble race of men, large and well 
formed, and maintain a savage grandeur and gravity of 
demeanor in their solemn ceremonials. 

All being seated, the old seneschal prepared the pipe 
of ceremony or council, and having lit it, handed it to 
the chief. He inhaled the sacred smoke, gave a puff 
upward to the heaven, then downward to the earth, 
then towards the east; after this it was as usual passed 
from mouth to mouth, each holding it respectfully until 
his neighbor had taken several whiffs ; and now the 
grand council was considered as opened in due form. 

The chief made an harangue welcoming the white men 
to his village, and expressing his happiness in taking 
them by the hand as friends ; but at the same time com¬ 
plaining of the poverty of himself and his people; the 
usual prelude among Indians to begging or hard bar¬ 
gaining. 

Lisa rose to reply, and the eyes of Hunt and his com¬ 
panions were eagerly turned upon him, those of M’Lellan 
glaring like a basilisk’s. He began by the usual expres¬ 
sions of friendship, and then proceeded to explain the ob¬ 
ject of his own party. Those persons, however, said he, 
pointing to Mr. Hunt and his companions, are of a differ¬ 
ent party, and are quite distinct in their views ; but, added 


NEGOTIATION FOR HORSES. 


285 


he, though we are separate parties, we make but one 
common cause when the safety of either is concerned. 
Any injury or insult offered to them I shall consider as 
done to myself, and will resent it accordingly. I trust, 
therefore, that you will treat them with the same friend¬ 
ship that you have always manifested for me, doing 
everything in your power to serve them and to help 
them on their way. The speech of Lisa, delivered with 
an air of frankness and sincerity, agreeably surprised 
and disappointed the rival party. 

Mr. Hunt then spoke, declaring the object of his jour¬ 
ney to the great Salt Lake beyond the mountains, and 
that he should want horses for the purpose, for which he 
was ready to trade, having brought with him plenty of 
goods. Both he and Lisa concluded their speeches by 
making presents of tobacco. 

The left-handed chieftain in reply promised his friend¬ 
ship and aid to the new comers, and welcomed them tc 
his village. He added that they had not the number of 
horses to spare that Mr. Hunt required, and expressed a 
doubt whether they should be able to part with any. 
Upon this, another chieftain, called Gray Eyes, made a 
speech, and declared that they could readily supply Mr. 
Hunt with all the horses he might want, since, if they 
had not enough in the village, they could easily steal 
more. This honest expedient immediately removed the 
main difficulty ; but the chief deferred all trading for a 
day or two; until he should have time to consult with 


286 


ASTORIA. 


his subordinate chiefs as to market rates ; for the prin¬ 
cipal chief of a village, in conjunction with his council, 
usually fixes the prices at which articles shall be bought 
and sold, and to them the village must conform. 

The council now broke up. Mr. Hunt transferred his 
camp across the river at a little distance below the vil¬ 
lage, and the left-handed chief placed some of his war¬ 
riors as a guard to prevent the intrusion of any of his 
people. The camp was pitched on the river bank just 
above the boats. The tents, and the men wrapped in 
their blankets and bivouacking on skins in the open air, 
surrounded the baggage at night. Four sentinels also 
kept watch within sight of each other outside of the 
camp until midnight, when they were relieved by four 
others who mounted guard until daylight. Mr. Lisa en¬ 
camped near to Mr. Hunt, between him and the village. 

The speech of Mr. Lisa in the council had produced a 
pacific effect in the encampment. Though the sincerity 
of his friendship and good-will towards the new company 
still remained matter of doubt, he was no longer sus¬ 
pected of an intention to play false. The intercourse 
between the two leaders was therefore resumed, and the 
affairs of both parties went on harmoniously. 


CHAPTER XXL 


AN INDIAN HORSE FAIR.—LOVE OF THE INDIANS FOR HORSES.— SCENES IN TOT 
ARICKARA VILLAGE.—INDIAN HOSPITALITY.— DUTIES OF INDIAN WOMEN.— 
GAME HABITS OF THE MEN.—THEIR INDOLENCE.—LOVE OF GOSSIPING.— 
RUMORS OF LURKING ENEMIES.—SCOUTS.—AN ALARM.—A SALLYING FORTH. 
—INDIAN DOGS.—RETURN OF A HORSE-STEALING PARTY.—AN INDIAN DEP¬ 
UTATION.— FRESH ALARMS.— RETURN OF A SUCCESSFUL WAR PARTY.— 
DRESS OF THE ARICKARAS.—INDIAN TOILET.—TRIUMPHAL ENTRY OF THE 
WAR PARTY.—MEETINGS OF RELATIONS AND FRIENDS. — INDIAN SENSI¬ 
BILITY.—MEETING OF A WOUNDED WARRIOR AND HIS MOTHER.—FESTIVI¬ 
TIES AND LAMENTATIONS. 


TRADE now commenced with the Arickaras 
under the regulation and supervision of their 
two chieftains. Lisa sent a part of his goods 
to the lodge of the left-handed dignitary, and Mr. Hunt 
established his mart in the lodge of the Big Man. The 
village soon presented the appearance of a busy fair; 
and as horses were in demand, the purlieus and the adja¬ 
cent plain were like the vicinity of a Tartar encampment; 
horses were put through all their paces, and horsemen 
were careering about with that dexterity and grace for 
which the Arickaras are noted. As soon as a horse was 
purchased, his tail was cropped, a sure mode of distin¬ 
guishing him from the horses of the tribe ; for the In- 

287 








288 


ASTORIA . 


dians disdain to practice this absurd, barbarous, and 
indecent mutilation, invented by some mean and vulgar 
mind, insensible to the merit and perfections of the ani¬ 
mal. On the contrary, the Indian horses are suffered to 
remain in every respect the superb and beautiful animals 
which nature formed them. 

The wealth of an Indian of the far west consists prin¬ 
cipally in his horses, of which each chief and warrior 
possesses a great number, so that the plains about an 
Indian village or encampment are covered with them. 
These form objects of traffic, or objects of depredation, 
and in this way pass from tribe to tribe over great tracts 
of country. The horses owned by the Arickaras are, for 
the most part, of the wild stock of the prairies ; some, 
however, had been obtained from the Poncas, Pawnees, 
and other tribes to the southwest, who had stolen them 
from the Spaniards in the course of horse-stealing expe¬ 
ditions into the Mexican territories. These were to be 
known by being branded ; a Spanish mode of marking 
horses not practiced by the Indians. 

As the Arickaras were meditating another expedition 
against their enemies the Sioux, the articles of traffic 
most in demand were guns, tomahawks, scalping-knives, 
powder, ball, and other munitions of war. The price of 
a horse, as regulated by the chiefs, was commonly ten 
dollars’ worth of goods at first cost. To supply the de¬ 
mand thus suddenly created, parties of young men and 
braves had sallied forth on expeditions to steal horses ; 


DOMESTIC LIFE OF AN INDIAN. 


289 


a species of service among the Indians which takes pre¬ 
cedence of hunting, and is considered a department of 
honorable warfare. 

While the leaders of the expedition were actively en¬ 
gaged in preparing for the approaching journey, those 
who had accompanied it for curiosity or amusement, 
found ample matter for observation in the village and its 
inhabitants. Wherever they went they were kindly en¬ 
tertained. If they entered a lodge, the buffalo robe was 
spread before the fire for them to sit down ; the pipe was 
brought, and while the master of the lodge conversed 
with his guests, the squaw put the earthen vessel over 
the fire, well filled with dried buffalo-meat and pounded 
corn; for the Indian in his native state, before he has 
mingled much with white men, and acquired their sordid 
habits, has the hospitality of the Arab : never does a 
stranger enter his door without having food placed be¬ 
fore him; and never is the food thus furnished made a 
matter of traffic. 

The life of an Indian when at home in his village is a 
life of indolence and amusement. To the woman is con¬ 
signed the labors of the household and the field; she 
arranges the lodge ; brings wood for the fire; cooks ; 
jerks venison and buffalo meat; dresses the skins of the 
animals killed in the chase; cultivates the little patch of 
maize, pumpkins, and pulse, which furnishes a great part 
of their provisions. Their time for repose and recreation 
is at sunset, when the labors of the day being ended, 
19 


290 


A8T0RIA. 


they gather together to amuse themselves with petty 
games, or to hold gossiping convocations on the tops of 
their lodges. 

As to the Indian, he is a game animal, not to be de¬ 
graded by useful or menial toil. It is enough that he 
exposes himself to the hardships of the chase and the 
perils of war; that he brings home food for his family, 
and watches and fights for its protection. Everything 
else is beneath his attention. When at home, he attends 
only to his weapons and his horses, preparing the means 
of future exploit. Or he engages with his comrades in 
games of dexterity, agility and strength ; or in gambling 
games in which everything is put at hazard with a reck¬ 
lessness seldom witnessed in civilized life. 

A great part of the idle leisure of the Indians when at 
home, is passed in groups, squatted together on the bank 
of a river, on the top of a mound on the prairie, or on the 
roof of one of their earth-covered lodges, talking over 
the news of the day, the affairs of the tribe, the events 
and exploits of their last hunting or fighting expedition; 
or listening to the stories of old times told by some vet¬ 
eran chronicler ; resembling a group of our village quid¬ 
nuncs and politicians, listening to the prosings of some 
superannuated oracle, or discussing the contents of an 
ancient newspaper. 

As to the Indian women, they are far from complaining 
of their lot. On the contrary, they would despise their 
husbands could they stoop to any menial office, and 


AN ALARM. 


291 


would think it conveyed an imputation upon their own 
conduct. It is the worst insult one virago can cast upon 
another in a moment of altercation. “ Infamous woman ! ” 
will she cry, “ I have seen your husband carrying wood 
into his lodge to make the fire. Where was his squaw, 
that he should be obliged to make a woman of himself!” 

Mr. Hunt and his fellow-travellers had not been many 
days at the Arickara village, when rumors began to cir¬ 
culate that the Sioux had followed them up, and that a 
war party, four or five hundred in number, were lurking 
somewhere in the neighborhood. These rumors pro¬ 
duced much embarrassment in the camp. The white 
hunters were deterred from venturing forth in quest of 
game, neither did the leaders think it proper to expose 
them to such a risk. The Arickaras, too, who had 
suffered greatly in their wars with this cruel and fero¬ 
cious tribe, were roused to increased vigilance, and sta¬ 
tioned mounted scouts upon the neighboring hills. This, 
however, is a general precaution among the tribes of the 
prairies. Those immense plains present a horizon like 
the ocean, so that any object of importance can be de¬ 
scried afar, and information communicated to a great dis¬ 
tance. The scouts are stationed on the hills, therefore, 
to look out both for game and for enemies, and are, in a 
manner, living telegraphs conveying their intelligence by 
concerted signs. If they wish to give notice of a herd of 
buffalo in the plain beyond, they gallop backwards and 
forwards abreast, on the summit of the hill. If they per- 


292 


ASTORIA. 


ceiye an enemy at hand, they gallop to and fro, crossing 
each other; at sight of which the whole village* flies to 
arms. 

Such an alarm was given in the afternoon of the 15th. 
Four scouts were seen crossing and recrossing each other 
at full gallop, on the summit of a hill about two miles 
distant down the river. The cry was up that the Sioux 
were coming. In an instant the village was in an uproar. 
Men, women, and children were all brawling and shout¬ 
ing ; dogs barking, yelping, and howling. Some of the 
warriors ran for the horses to gather and drive them in 
from the prairie, some for their weapons. As fast as 
they could arm and equip they sallied forth; some on 
horseback, some on foot. Some hastily arrayed in their 
war dress, with coronets of fluttering feathers, and their 
bodies smeared with paint; others naked and only fur¬ 
nished with the weapons they had snatched up. The 
women and children gathered on the tops of the lodges 
and heightened the confusion of the scene by their 
vociferation. Old men who could no longer bear arms 
took similar stations, and harangued the warriors as they 
passed, exhorting them to valorous deeds. Some of the 
veterans took arms themselves, and sallied forth with 
tottering steps. In this way, the savage chivalry of the 
village to the number of five hundred, poured forth, 
helter-skelter, riding and running, with hideous yells and 
war-whoops, like so many bedlamites or demoniacs let 
loose. 


AN ARICKARA EXCITEMENT. 


293 


After a while the tide of war rolled back, but with far 
less uproar. Either it had been a false alarm, or the 
enemy had retreated on finding themselves discovered, 
and quiet was restored to the village. The white hunters 
continuing to be fearful of ranging this dangerous neigh¬ 
borhood, fresh provisions began to be scarce in the camp. 
As a substitute, therefore, for venison and buffalo meat, 
the travellers had to purchase a number of dogs to be 
shot and cooked for the supply of the camp. Fortu¬ 
nately, however chary the Indians might be of their 
horses, they were liberal of their dogs. In fact, these 
animals swarm about an Indian village as they do about 
a Turkish town. Not a family but has two or three dozen 
belonging to it, of all sizes and colors ; some of a superior 
breed are used for hunting; others, to draw the sledge, 
while others, of a mongrel breed, and idle vagabond 
nature, are fattened for food. They are supposed to be 
descended from the wolf, and retain something of his 
savage but cowardly temper, howling rather than bark¬ 
ing ; showing their teeth and snarling on the slightest 
provocation, but sneaking away on the least attack. 

The excitement of the village continued from day to 
day. On the day following the alarm just mentioned, 
several parties arrived from different directions, and 
were met and conducted by some of the braves to the 
council lodge, where they reported the events and suc¬ 
cess of their expeditions, whether of war or hunting; 
which news was afterwards promulgated throughout the 


294 


ASTORIA. 


Tillage, by certain old men who acted as heralds or town 
criers. Among the parties which arrived was one that 
had been among the Snake nation stealing horses, and 
returned crowned with success. As they passed in tri¬ 
umph through the village they were cheered by the men, 
women, and children, collected as usual on the tops of 
the lodges, and were exhorted by the [Nestors of the vil¬ 
lage to be generous in their dealings with the white 
men. 

The evening was spent in feasting and rejoicing among 
the relations of the successful warriors; but the sounds 
of grief and wailing were heard from the hills adjacent 
to the village—the lamentations of women who had lost 
some relative in the foray. 

An Indian village is subject to continual agitations and 
excitements. The next day arrived a deputation of 
braves from the Cheyenne or Shienne nation; a broken 
tribe, cut up, like the Arickaras, by wars with the Sioux, 
and driven to take refuge among the Black Hills, near 
the sources of the Cheyenne River, from which they 
derive their name. One of these deputies was magnifi¬ 
cently arrayed in a buffalo robe, on which various figures 
were fancifully embroidered with split quills dyed red 
and yellow; and the whole was fringed with the slender 
hoofs of young fawns, that rattled as he walked. 

The arrival of this deputation was the signal for 
another of those ceremonials which occupy so much of 
Jndiau life; for no being is more courtly and punc- 


A CHEYENNE EMBASSY. 


295 


tilious, and more observing of etiquette and formality 
than an American savage. 

The object of the deputation was to give notice of an 
intended visit of the Shienne (or Cheyenne) tribe to the 
Arickara village in the course of fifteen days. To this 
visit Mr. Hunt looked forward to procure additional 
horses for his journey ; all his bargaining being ineffec¬ 
tual in obtaining a sufficient supply from the Arickaras. 
Indeed, nothing could prevail upon the latter to part 
with their prime horses, which had been trained to 
buffalo hunting. 

As Mr. Hunt would have to abandon his boats at this 
place, Mr. Lisa now offered to purchase them, and such 
of his merchandise as was superfluous, and to pay him in 
horses to be obtained at a fort belonging to the Missouri 
Fur Company, situated at the Mandan villages, about a 
hundred and fifty miles further up the river. A bargain 
was promptly made, and Mr. Lisa and Mr. Crooks, with 
several companions, set out for the fort to procure the 
horses. They returned, after upwards of a fortnight’s 
absence, bringing with them the stipulated number of 
horses. Still the cavalry was not sufficiently numerous 
to convey the party and baggage and merchandise, and a 
few days more were required to complete the arrange¬ 
ments for the journey. 

On the 9th of July, just before daybreak, a great noise 
and vociferation was heard in the village. This being 
the usual Indian hour of attack and surprise, and the 


296 


ASTORIA . 


Sioux being known to be in the neighborhood, the camp 
was instantly on the alert. As the day broke Indians 
were descried in considerable number on the bluffs, three 
or four miles down the river. The noise and agitation 
in the village continued. The tops of the lodges were 
crowded with the inhabitants, all earnestly looking to¬ 
wards the hills, and keeping up a vehement chattering. 
Presently an Indian warrior galloped past the camp to¬ 
wards the village, and in a little while the legions began 
to pour forth. 

The truth of the matter was now ascertained. The In¬ 
dians upon the distant hills were three hundred Arickara 
braves, returning home from a foray. They had met the 
war party of Sioux who had been so long hovering about 
the neighborhood, had fought them the day before, killed 
several, and defeated the rest with the loss of but two or 
three of their own men and about a dozen wounded ; and 
they were now halting at a distance until their comrades 
in the village should come forth to meet them, and swell 
the parade of their triumphal entry. The warrior who 
had galloped past the camp was the leader of the party 
hastening home to give tidings of his victory. 

Preparations were now made for this great martial 
ceremony. All the finery and equipments of the warriors 
were sent forth to them, that they might appear to the 
greatest advantage. Those, too, who had remained at 
home, tasked their wardrobes and toilets to do honor to 
the procession. 


AN INDIAN TOILET. 


297 


The Arickaras generally go naked, but, like all savages, 
they have their gala dress, of which they are not a little 
vain. This usually consists of a gray surcoat and leggins 
of the dressed skin of the antelope, resembling chamois 
leather, and embroidered with porcupine quills brilliantly 
dyed. A buffalo robe is thrown over the right shoulder, 
and across the left is slung a quiver of arrows. They 
wear gay coronets of plumes, particularly those of the 
swan; but the feathers of the black eagle are considered 
the most worthy, being a sacred bird among the Indian 
warriors. He who has killed an enemy in his own land, 
is entitled to drag at his heels a fox-skin attached to 
each moccasin; and he who has slain a grizzly bear, 
wears a necklace of his claws, the most glorious trophy 
that a hunter can exhibit. 

An Indian toilet is an operation of some toil and 
trouble; the warrior often has to paint himself from 
head to foot, and is extremely capricious and difficult to 
please, as to the hideous distribution of streaks and 
colors. A great part of the morning, therefore, passed 
away before there were any signs of the distant pageant. 
In the meantime a profound stillness reigned over the 
village. Most of the inhabitants had gone forth ; others 
remained in mute expectation. All sports and occupa¬ 
tions were suspended, excepting that in the lodges the 
painstaking squaws were silently busied in preparing the 
repasts for the warriors. 

It was near noon that a mingled sound of voices and 


298 


ASTORIA. 


rude music, faintly heard from a distance, gave notice 
that the procession was on the march. The old men and 
such of the squaws as could leave their employments 
hastened forth to meet it. In a little while it emerged 
from behind a hill, and had a wild and picturesque ap¬ 
pearance as it came moving over the summit in measured 
step, and to the cadence of songs and savage instruments ; 
the warlike standards and trophies flaunting aloft, and 
the feathers, and paint, and silver ornaments of the war¬ 
riors glaring and glittering in the sunshine. 

The pageant had really something chivalrous in its 
arrangement. The Arickaras are divided into several 
bands, each bearing the name of some animal or bird, as 
the buffalo, the bear, the dog, the pheasant. The present 
party consisted of four of these bands, one of which was 
the dog, the most esteemed on war, being composed of 
young men under thirty, and noted for prowess. It is 
engaged in the most desperate occasions. The bands 
marched in separate bodies under their several leaders. 
The warriors on foot came first, in platoons of ten or 
twelve abreast; then the horsemen. Each band bore as 
an ensign a spear or bow decorated with beads, porcu¬ 
pine quills, and painted feathers. Each bore its trophies 
of scalps, elevated on poles, their long black locks 
streaming in the wind. Each was accompanied by its 
rude music and minstrelsy. In this way the procession 
extended nearly a quarter of a mile. The warriors were 
variously armed, some few with guns, others with bows 


TRIUMPHANT PROCESSION. 


299 


and arrows, and war clubs ; all bad shields of buffalo 
hide, a kind of defense generally used by the Indians of 
the open prairies, who have not the covert of trees and 
forests to protect them. They were painted in the most 
savage style. Some had the stamp of a red hand across 
their mouths, a sign that they had drunk the life-blood 
of a foe! 

As they drew near to the village the old men and the 
women began to meet them, and now a scene ensued that 
proved the fallacy of the old fable of Indian apathy and 
stoicism. Parents and children, husbands and wives, 
brothers and sisters met with the most rapturous expres¬ 
sions of joy; while wailings and lamentations were heard 
from the relatives of the killed and wounded. The pro¬ 
cession, however, continued on with slow and measured 
step, in cadence to the solemn chant, and the warriors 
maintained their fixed and stern demeanor. 

Between two of the principal chiefs rode a young war¬ 
rior who had distinguished himself in the battle. He 
was severely wounded, so as with difficulty to keep on 
his horse ; but he preserved a serene and steadfast coun¬ 
tenance, as if perfectly unharmed. His mother had 
heard of his condition. She broke through the throng, 
and rushing up, threw her arms around him and wept 
aloud. He kept up the spirit and demeanor of a warrior 
to the last, but expired shortly after he had reached his 
home. 

The village was now a scene of the utmost festivity 


300 


ASTORIA. 


and triumph. The banners, and trophies, and scalps, 
and painted shields were elevated on poles near the 
lodges. There were war-feasts, and scalp-dances, with 
warlike songs and savage music; all the inhabitants were 
arrayed in their festal dresses; while the old heralds 
went round from lodge to lodge, promulgating with loud 
voices the events of the battle and the exploits of the 
various warriors. 

Such was the boisterous revelry of the village ; but 
sounds of another kind were heard on the surrounding 
hills; piteous wailings of the women, who had retired 
thither to mourn in darkness and solitude for those who 
had fallen in battle. There the poor mother of the 
youthful warrior who had returned home in triumph but 
to die, gave full vent to the anguish of a mother’s heart 
How much does this custom among the Indian women oi 
repairing to the hilltops in the night, and pouring forth 
their wailings for the dead, call to mind the beautiful and 
affecting passage of Scripture, “In Rama was there a 
voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourn¬ 
ing, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be 
comforted, because they are not” 


CHAPTER XXII. 


WILDERNESS OP THE FAR WEST.—GREAT AMERICAN DESERT.— PARCHED 
SEASONS.—BLACK HILLS.— ROCKY MOUNTAINS.—WANDERING AND PREDA¬ 
TORY HORDES.—SPECULATIONS ON WHAT MAY BE THE FUTURE POPULA¬ 
TION.—APPREHENDED DANGERS.—A PLOT TO DESERT.—ROSE THE INTER¬ 
PRETER.—HIS SINISTER CHARACTER.—DEPARTURE FROM THE ARICKARA 
VILLAGE. 



HILE Mr. Hunt was diligently preparing for his 
arduous journey, some of his men began to lose 
heart at the perilous prospect before them ; but 
before we accuse them of want of spirit, it is proper to 
consider the nature of the wilderness into which they 
were about to adventure. It was a region almost as vast 
and trackless as the ocean, and, at the time of which we 
treat, but little known, excepting through the vague ac¬ 
counts of Indian hunters. A part of their route would 
lay across an immense tract, stretching north and south 
for hundreds of miles along the foot of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains, and drained by the tributary streams of the Mis¬ 
souri and the Mississippi. This region, which resembles 
one of the immeasurable steppes of Asia, has not inaptly 
been termed “ the great American desert.” It spreads 
forth into undulating and treeless plains, and desolate 

301 









302 


A&TORIA. 


sandy wastes wearisome to the eye from their extent and 
monotony, and which are supposed by geologists to have 
formed the ancient floor of the ocean, countless ages 
since, when its primeval waves beat against the granite 
bases of the Rocky Mountains. 

It is a land where no man permanently abides ; for, in 
certain seasons of the year there is no food either for the 
hunter or his steed. The herbage is parched and with¬ 
ered ; the brooks and streams are dried up ; the buffalo, 
the elk and the deer have wandered to distant parts, 
keeping within the verge of expiring verdure, and leav¬ 
ing behind them a vast uninhabited solitude, seamed by 
ravines, the beds of former torrents, but now serving only 
to tantalize and increase the thirst of the traveller. 

Occasionally the monotony of this vast wilderness is 
interrupted by mountainous belts of sand and limestone, 
broken into confused masses ; with precipitous cliffs and 
yawning ravines, looking like the ruins of a world ; or is 
traversed by lofty and barren ridges of rock, almost im¬ 
passable, like those denominated the Black Hills. Be¬ 
yond these rise the stern barriers of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains, the limits, as it were, of the Atlantic world. The 
rugged defiles and deep valleys of this vast chain form 
sheltering places for restless and ferocious bands of sav¬ 
ages, many of them the remnants of tribes, once inhabi¬ 
tants of the prairies, but broken up by war and violence, 
and who carry into their mountain haunts the fierce pas¬ 
sions and reckless habits of desperadoes. 


WILDERNESS OF THE FAR WEST. 


303 


Such is the nature of this immense wilderness of the 
far West; which apparently defies cultivation, and the 
habitation of civilized life. Some portions of it along the 
rivers may partially be subdued by agriculture, others 
may form vast pastoral tracts, like those of the East; but 
it is to be feared that a great part of it will form a law¬ 
less interval between the abodes of civilized man, like 
the wastes of the ocean or the deserts of Arabia ; and, 
like them, be subject to the depredations of the ma¬ 
rauder. Here may spring up new and mongrel races, like 
new formations in geology, the amalgamation of the 
“ debris ” and “ abrasions ” of former races, civilized and 
savage ; the remains of broken and almost extinguished 
tribes ; the descendants of wandering hunters and trap¬ 
pers ; of fugitives from the Spanish and American fron¬ 
tiers ; of adventurers and desperadoes of every class and 
country, yearly ejected from the bosom of society into 
the wilderness. We are contributing incessantly to swell 
this singular and heterogeneous cloud of wild population 
that is to hang about our frontier, by the transfer of 
whole tribes from the east of the Mississippi to the great 
wastes of the far West. Many of these bear with them 
the smart of real or fancied injuries; many consider 
themselves expatriated beings, wrongfully exiled from 
their hereditary homes, and the sepulchres of their fath¬ 
ers, and cherish a deep and abiding animosity against 
the race that has dispossessed them. Some may gradu¬ 
ally become pastoral hordes, like those rude and migra- 


304 


ASTORIA. 


tory people, half shepherd, half warrior, who, with their 
flocks and herds, roam the plains of upper Asia; but 
others, it is to be apprehended, will become predatory 
bands, mounted on the fleet steeds of the prairies, with 
the open plains for their marauding grounds, and the 
mountains for their retreats and lurking-places. Here 
they may resemble those great hordes of the North, 
“Gog and Magog with their bands,” that haunted the 
gloomy imaginations of the prophets. “A great com¬ 
pany and a mighty host, all riding upon horses, and war¬ 
ring upon those nations which were at rest, and dwelt 
peaceably, and had gotten cattle and goods.” 

The Spaniards changed the whole character and habits 
of the Indians when they brought the horse among them. 
In Chili, Tucuman, and other parts, it has converted 
them, we are told, into Tartar-like tribes, and enabled 
them to keep the Spaniards out of their country, and 
even to make it dangerous for them to venture far from 
their towns and settlements. Are we not in danger of 
producing some such state of things in the boundless 
regions of the far West? That these are not mere fanci¬ 
ful and extravagant suggestions we have sufficient proofs 
in the dangers already experienced by the traders to the 
Spanish mart of Santa Fe, and to the distant posts of 
the fur companies. These are obliged to proceed in 
armed caravans, and are subject to murderous attacks 
from bands of Pawnees, Camanches, and Blackfeet, that 
come scouring upon them in their weary march across 


APPREHENDED DANGERS. 


305 


the plains, or lie in wait for them among the passes of 
the mountains. 

We are wandering, however, into excursive specula- , 
tions, when our intention was merely to give an idea of 
the nature of the wilderness which Mr. Hunt was about 
to traverse; and which at that time was far less known 
than at present; though it still remains in a great meas¬ 
ure an unknown land= We cannot be surprised, there¬ 
fore, that some of the least resolute of his party should 
feel dismay at the thoughts of adventuring into this 
perilous wilderness under the uncertain guidance of 
three hunters, who had merely passed once through the 
country and might have forgotten the landmarks. Their 
apprehensions were aggravated by some of Lisa’s follow¬ 
ers, who, not being engaged in the expedition, took a 
mischievous pleasure in exaggerating its dangers. They 
painted in strong colors, to the poor Canadian voyageurs, 
the risk they would run of perishing with hunger and 
thirst; of being cut off by war-parties of the Sioux who 
scoured the plains ; of having their horses stolen by the 
Upsarokas or Crows, who infested the skirts of the Rocky 
Mountains ; or of being butchered by the Blackfeet, who 
lurked among the defiles. In a w r ord, there was little 
chance of their getting alive across the mountains; and 
even if they did, those three guides knew nothing of the 
howling wilderness that lay beyond. 

The apprehensions thus awakened in the minds of 
some of the men came well-nigh proving detrimental to 
20 


306 


ASTORIA. 


the expedition. Some of them determined to desert, and 
to make their way back to St. Louis. They accordingly 
purloined several weapons and a barrel of gunpowder, as 
ammunition for their enterprise, and buried them in the 
river bank, intending to seize one of the boats, and make 
off in the night. Fortunately their plot was overheard 
by John Day, the Kentuckian, and communicated to the 
partners, who took quiet and effectual means to frus¬ 
trate it. 

The dangers to be apprehended from the Crow In¬ 
dians had not been overrated by the camp gossips. 
These savages, through whose mountain haunts the 
party would have to pass, were noted for daring and 
excursive habits, and great dexterity in horse stealing. 
Mr. Hunt, therefore, considered himself fortunate in hav¬ 
ing met with a man who might be of great use to him in 
any intercourse he might have with the tribe. This was 
a wandering individual named Edward Rose, whom he 
had picked up somewhere on the Missouri—one of those 
anomalous beings found on the frontier, who seem to 
have neither kin nor country. He had lived some time 
among the Crows, so as to become acquainted with their 
language and customs ; and was, withal, a dogged, sullen, 
silent fellow, with a sinister aspect, and more of the sav¬ 
age than the civilized man in his appearance. He was 
engaged to serve in general as a hunter, but as guide and 
interpreter when they should reach the country of th-o 
Crows. 


DEPARTURE FROM THE ARICKARAS. 


307 


On the 18th of July, Mr. Hunt took up his line of 
march by land from the Arickara village, leaving Mr. 
Lisa and Mr. Nuttall there, where they intended to await 
the expected arrival of Mr. Henry from the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains. As to Messrs. Bradbury and Breckenridge they 
had departed some days previously, on a voyage down 
the river to St. Louis, with a detachment from Mr. Lisa’s 
party. With all his exertions, Mr. Hunt had been unable 
to obtain a sufficient number of horses for the accommo¬ 
dation of all his people. His cavalcade consisted of 
eighty-two horses, most of them heavily laden with In¬ 
dian goods, beaver traps, ammunition, Indian corn, corn 
meal and other necessaries. Each of the partners was 
mounted, and a horse was allotted to the interpreter, 
Pierre Dorion, for the transportation of his luggage and 
his two children. His squaw, for the most part of the 
time, trudged on foot, like the residue of the party; nor 
did any of the men show more patience and fortitude 
than this resolute woman in enduring fatigue and hard¬ 
ship. 

The veteran trappers and voyageurs of Lisa’s party 
shook their heads as their comrades set out, and took 
leave of them as of doomed men ; and even Lisa himself 
gave it as his opinion, after the travellers had departed, 
they would never reach the shores of the Pacific, but 
would either perish with hunger in the wilderness, or be 
cut off by the savages. 


CHAPTER IXItt 


SUMMER WEATHER OF THE PRAIRIES.—PURITY OF THE ATMOSPHERE.—CANA 
DIANS ON THE MARCH.—SICKNESS IN THE CAMP.— BIG RIVER.— VULGAR 
NOMENCLATURE.— SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THE ORIGINAL INDIAN NAMES.— 
CAMP OF CHEYENNES.—TRADE FOR HORSES.—CHARACTER OF THE CHEY¬ 
ENNES.—THEIR HORSEMANSHIP.—HISTORICAL ANECDOTES OF THE TRIBE. 


HE course taken by Mr. Hunt was at first to the 
northwest, but soon turned and kept generally 
to the southwest, to avoid the country infested 
by the Blackfeet. His route took him across some of the 
tributary streams of the Missouri, and over immense 
prairies, bounded only by the horizon, and destitute of 
trees. It was now the height of summer, and these naked 
plains would be intolerable to the traveller were it not 
for the breezes which sweep over them during the fervor 
of the day, bringing with them tempering airs from the 
distant mountains. To the prevalence of these breezes, 
and to the want of all leafy covert, may we also attribute 
the freedom from those flies and other insects so tor¬ 
menting to man and beast during the summer months, in 
the lower plains, which are bordered and interspersed 
with woodland. 

The monotony of these immense landscapes also, 

308 







CANADIANS ON THE MARCH. 


309 


would be as wearisome as that of the ocean, were it not 
relieved in some degree by the purity and elasticity of 
the atmosphere, and the beauty of the heavens. The sky 
has that delicious blue for which the sky of Italy is re¬ 
nowned ; the sun shines with a splendor unobscured by 
any cloud or vapor, and a starlight night on the prairies 
is glorious. This purity and elasticity of atmosphere 
increases as the traveller approaches the mountains and 
gradually rises into more elevated prairies. 

On the second day of the journey, Mr. Hunt arranged 
the party into small and convenient messes, distributing 
among them the camp kettles. The encampments at 
night were as before ; some sleeping under tents, and 
others bivouacking in the open air. The Canadians 
proved as patient of toil and hardship on the land as on 
the water; indeed, nothing could surpass the patience 
and good-humor of these men upon the march. They 
were the cheerful drudges of the party, loading and un¬ 
loading the horses, pitching the tents, making the fires, 
cooking; in short, performing all those household and 
menial offices which the Indians usually assign to the 
squaws; and, like the squaws, they left all the hunting 
and fighting to others. A Canadian has but little affec¬ 
tion for the exercise of the rifle. 

The progress of the party was but slow for the first 
few days. Some of the men were indisposed; Mr. 
Crooks, especially, was so unwell that he could not keep 
on his horse. A rude kind of litter was, therefore, pre- 


310 


ASTORIA. 


pared for him, consisting of twc long poles, fixed, one on 
each side of two horses, with a matting between them, on 
which he reclined at full length, and was protected from 
the sun by a canopy of boughs. 

On the evening of the 23d (July) they encamped on 
the banks of what they term Big River; and here we 
cannot but pause to lament the stupid, commonplace, and 
often ribald names entailed upon the rivers and other 
features of the great West, by traders and settlers. As 
the aboriginal tribes of these magnificent regions are yet 
in existence, the Indian names might easily be recovered; 
which, beside being in general more sonorous and musi¬ 
cal, would remain mementoes of the primitive lords of 
the soil, of whom in a little while scarce any traces will 
be left. Indeed, it is to be wished that the whole of our 
country could be rescued, as much as possible, from the 
wretched nomenclature inflicted upon it, by ignorant and 
vulgar minds; and this might be done, in a great degree, 
by restoring tho Indian names, wherever significant and 
euphonious. As there appears to be a spirit of research 
abroad in respect to our aboriginal antiquities, we would 
suggest, as a worthy object of enterprise, a map, or maps, 
of every part of our country, giving the Indian names 
wherever they could be ascertained. Whoever achieves 
such an object worthily, will leave a monument to his 
own reputation. 

To return from this digression. As the travellers were 
now in a country abounding with buffalo, they remained 


CAMP OF CHEYENNE INDIANS. 


311 


for several days encamped upon the banks of Big Biver, 
to obtain a supply of provisions, and to give the invalids 
time to recruit. 

On the second day of their sojourn, as Ben Jones, John 
Day, and others of the hunters were in pursuit of game, 
they came upon an Indian camp on the open prairie, near 
to a small stream which ran through a ravine. The tents 
or lodges were of dressed buffalo skins, sewn together and 
stretched on tapering pine poles, joined at top, but radi¬ 
ating at bottom, so as to form a circle capable of admit¬ 
ting fifty persons. Numbers of horses were grazing ii 
the neighborhood of the camp, or straying at large in 
the prairie; a sight most acceptable to the hunters. After 
reconnoitring the camp for some time, they ascertained 
it to belong to a band of Cheyenne Indians, the same 
that had sent a deputation to the Arickaras. They re¬ 
ceived the hunters in the most friendly mannev ; invited 
them to their lodges, which were more cleanly than In¬ 
dian lodges are prone to be, and set food before them 
with true uncivilized hospitality. Several of them ac¬ 
companied the hunters back to the camp, when a trade 
was immediately opened. The Cheyennes were aston¬ 
ished and delighted to find a convoy of goods and 
trinkets thus brought into the very heart of the prairie ; 
while Mr. Hunt and his companions were overjoyed to 
have an opportunity of obtaining a further supply of 
horses from these equestrian savages. 

During a fortnight that the travellers lingered at this 


312 


ASTORIA . 


place, their encampment was continually thronged by 
the Cheyennes. They were a civil, well-behaved people, 
cleanly in their persons and decorous in their habits. 
The men were tall, straight and vigorous, with aquiline 
noses, and high cheek bones. Some were almost as 
naked as ancient statues, and might have stood as models 
for a statuary; others had leggins and moccasins of deer 
skin, and buffalo robes, which they threw gracefully over 
their shoulders. In a little while, however, they began 
to appear in more gorgeous array, tricked out in the 
finery obtained from the white men; bright cloths, brass 
rings, beads of various colors; and happy was he who 
could render himself hideous with vermilion. 

The travellers had frequent occasion to admire the 
skill and grace with which these Indians managed their 
horses. Some of them made a striking display when 
mounted; themselves and their steeds decorated in gala 
style ; for the Indians often bestow more finery upon 
their horses than upon themselves. Some would hang 
around the necks, or rather on the breasts of their 
horses, the most precious ornaments they had obtained 
from the white men; others interwove feathers in their 
manes and tails. The Indian horses, too, appear to have 
an attachment to their wild riders, and indeed it is said 
that the horses of the prairies readily distinguish an In¬ 
dian from a white man by the smell, and give a prefer¬ 
ence to the former. Yet the Indians, in general, arc hard 
riders, and, however they may value their horses,, treat 


HISTORY OF THE CHEYENNES . 


313 


them with great roughness and neglect. Occasionally 
the Cheyennes joined the white hunters in pursuit of the 
elk and buffalo; and when in the ardor of the chase, 
spared neither themselves nor their steeds, scouring the 
prairies at full speed, and plunging down precipices and 
frightful ravines that threatened the necks of both horse 
and horseman. The Indian steed, well trained to the 
chase, seems as mad as the rider, and pursues the game 
as eagerly as if it were his natural prey, on the flesh of 
which he was to banquet. 

The history of the Cheyennes is that of many of those 
wandering tribes of the prairies. They were the remnant 
of a once powerful people called the Shaways, inhabiting 
a branch of the Bed River which flows into Lake Winni¬ 
peg. Every Indian tribe has some rival tribe with which 
it wages implacable hostility. The deadly enemies of 
the Shaways were the Sioux, who, after a long course of 
warfare, proved too powerful for them, and drove them 
across the Missouri. They again took root near the 
Warricanne Creek, and established themselves there in a 
fortified village. 

The Sioux still followed them with deadly animosity; 
dislodged them from their village, and compelled them 
to take refuge in the Black Hills, near the upper waters 
of the Sheyenne or Cheyenne River. Here they lost even 
their name, and became known among the French colo¬ 
nists by that of the river they frequented 

The heart of the tribe was now broken; its numbers 


314 


ASTORIA. 


were greatly thinned by their harassing wars. They no 
longer attempted to establish themselves in any per¬ 
manent abode that might be an object of attack to 
their cruel foes. They gave up the cultivation of the 
fruits of the earth, and became a wandering tribe, sub¬ 
sisting by the chase, and following the buffalo in its 
migrations. 

Their only possessions were horses, which they caught 
on the prairies, or reared, or captured on predatory in¬ 
cursions into the Mexican territories, as has already been 
mentioned. With some of these they repaired once a 
year to the Arickara villages, exchanged them for corn, 
beans, pumpkins, and articles of European merchandise, 
and then returned into the heart of the prairies. 

Such are the fluctuating fortunes of these savage na¬ 
tions. War, famine, pestilence, together or singly, bring 
down their strength and thin their numbers. Whole 
tribes are rooted up from their native places, wander for 
a time about these immense regions, become amalga¬ 
mated with other tribes, or disappear from the face of 
the earth. There appears to be a tendency to extinction 
among all the savage nations ; and this tendency would 
seem to have been in operation among the aboriginals of 
this country long before the advent of the white men, if 
we may judge from the traces and traditions of ancient 
populousness in regions which were silent and deserted 
at the time of the discovery; and from the mysterious 
and perplexing vestiges of unknown races, predecessors 


THE ABORIGINAL POPULATION. 


315 


of those found in actual possession, and who must long 
since have become gradually extinguished or been de¬ 
stroyed. The whole history of the aboriginal population 
of this country, however, is an enigma, and a grand one- 
will it ever be solved? 


CHAPTER XXIY. 

mrw DISTRIBUTION OF HORSES.—SECRET INFORMATION OF TREASON IN THE 
CAMP.— ROSE THE INTERPRETER.— HIS PERFIDIOUS CHARACTER.— HIS 
PLOTS.—ANECDOTES OF THE CROW INDIANS.—NOTORIOUS HORSE STEAL¬ 
ERS.—SOME ACCOUNT OF ROSE.—A DESPERADO OF THE FRONTIER. 



N the sixth of August the travellers bade fare¬ 
well to the friendly band of Cheyennes, and 
resumed their journey. As they had obtained 
thirty-six additional horses by their recent traffic, Mr. 
Hunt made a new arrangement. The baggage was made 
up in smaller loads. A horse was allotted to each of the 
six prime hunters, and others were distributed among 
the voyageurs, a horse for every two, so that they could 
ride and walk alternately. Mr. Crooks being still too 
feeble to mount the saddle, was carried on a litter. 

Their march this day lay among singular hills and 
knolls of an indurated red earth, resembling brick, about 
the bases of which were scattered pumice stones and 
cinders, the whole bearing traces of the action of fire. 
In the evening they encamped on a branch of Big Biver. 

They were now out of the tract of country infested by 
the Sioux, and had advanced such a distance into the 

316 







TREACHERY IN THE CAMP. 


31 ' 


interior that Mr. Hunt no longer felt apprehensive of the 
desertion of any of his men. He was doomed, however, 
to experience new cause of anxiety. As he was seated in 
his tent after nightfall, one of the men came to him pri¬ 
vately, and informed him that there was mischief brew¬ 
ing in the camp. Edward Eose, the interpreter, whose 
sinister looks we have already mentioned, was denounced 
by this secret informer as a designing, treacherous scoun¬ 
drel, who was tampering with the fidelity of certain of 
the men, and instigating them to a flagrant piece of trea¬ 
son. In the course of a few days they would arrive at 
the mountainous district infested by the Upsarokas or 
Crows, the tribe among which Eose was to officiate as 
interpreter. His plan was that several of the men should 
join with him, when in that neighborhood, in carrying 
off a number of the horses with their packages of goods, 
and deserting to those savages. He assured them of 
good treatment among the Crows, the principal chiefs 
and warriors of whom he knew; they would soon become 
great men among them, and have the finest women, and 
the daughters of the chiefs for wives ; and the horses and 
goods they carried off would make them rich for life. 

The intelligence of this treachery on the part of Eose 
gave much disquiet to Mr. Hunt, for he knew not how far 
it might be effective among his men. He had already 
had proofs that several of them were disaffected to the 
enterprise, and loath to cross the mountains. He knew 
also that savage life had charms for many of them, espe- 


318 


ASTORIA. 


cially the Canadians, who were prone to intermarry and 
domesticate themselves among the Indians. 

And here a word or two concerning the Crows may be 
of service to the reader, as they will figure occasionally 
in the succeeding narration. 

The tribe consists of four bands, which have their nest- 
ling-places in fertile, well-wooded valleys, lying among 
the Rocky Mountains, and watered by the Big Horse 
River and its tributary streams ; but, though these are 
properly their homes, where they shelter their old peo¬ 
ple, their wives, and their children, the men of the tribe 
are almost continually on the foray and the scamper. 
They are, in fact, notorious marauders and horse-stealers; 
crossing and recrossing the mountains, robbing on the 
one side, and conveying their spoils to the other. Hence, 
we are told, is derived their name, given to them on ac¬ 
count of their unsettled and predatory habits; winging 
their flight, like the crows, from one side of the moun¬ 
tains to the other, and making free booty of everything 
that lies in their way. Horses, however, are the especial 
objects of their depredations, and their skill and audacity 
in stealing them are said to be astonishing. This is their 
glory and delight; an accomplished horse-stealer fills up 
their idea of a hero. Many horses are obtained by them, 
also, in barter from tribes in and beyond the mountains. 
They have an absolute passion for this noble animal; 
beside which he is with them an important object of 
traffic. Once a year they make a visit to the Mandans. 


A DESPERADO OF THE FRONTIER . 


319 


Minatarees, and other tribes of the Missouri, taking with 
them droves of horses which they exchange for guns, 
ammunition, trinkets, vermilion, cloths of bright colors, 
and various other articles of European manufacture. 
With these they supply their own wants and caprices, 
and carry on the internal trade for horses already men¬ 
tioned. 

The plot of Rose to rob and abandon his countrymen 
when in the heart of the wilderness, and to throw him¬ 
self into the hands of a horde of savages, may appear 
strange and improbable to those unacquainted with the 
singular and anomalous characters that are to be found 
about the borders. This fellow, it appears, was one of 
those desperadoes of the frontiers, outlawed by their 
crimes, who combine the vices of civilized and savage 
life, and are ten times more barbarous than the Indians 
with whom they consort. Rose had formerly belonged 
to one of the gangs of pirates who infested the islands of 
the Mississippi, plundering boats as they went up and 
down the river, and who sometimes shifted the scene of 
their robberies to the shore, waylaying travellers as they 
returned by land from New Orleans with the proceeds of 
their downward voyage, plundering them of their money 
and effects, and often perpetrating the most atrocious 
murders. 

These hordes of villains being broken up and dis¬ 
persed, Rose had betaken himself to the wilderness, and 
associated himself with the Crows, whose predatory hab- 


320 


ASTORIA . 


its were congenial with his own, had married a woman of 
the tribe, and, in short, had identified himself with those 
vagrant savages. 

Such was the worthy guide and interpreter, Edward 
Rose. We give his story, however, not as it was known to 
Mr. Hunt and his companions at the time, but as it has 
been subsequently ascertained. Enough was known of 
the fellow and his dark and perfidious character to put 
Mr. Hunt upon his guard : still, as there was no knowing 
how far his plans might have succeeded, and as any rash 
act might blow the mere smouldering sparks of treason 
into a sudden blaze, it was thought advisable by those 
with whom Mr. Hunt consulted, to conceal all knowledge 
or suspicion of the meditated treachery, but to keep up a 
vigilant watch upon the movements of Rose, and a strict 
guard upon the horses at night 


CHAPTER XXV. 


•UBSTITUTE FOE FUEL ON THE PRAIEIES.—FOSSIL TREES.—FIERCENESS Ot 
THE BUFFALOES WHEN IN HEAT.—THREE HUNTERS MISSING.—SIGNAL FIRES 
AND SMOKES.—UNEASINESS CONCERNING THE LOST MEN.—A PLAN TO FORE¬ 
STALL A ROGUE.—NEW ARRANGEMENT WITH ROSE.—RETURN OF THE WAN¬ 
DERERS. 


HE plains over which the travellers were jour¬ 
neying continued to be destitute of trees or 
even shrubs; insomuch that they had to use 
the dung of the buffalo for fuel, as the Arabs of the 
desert use that of the camel. This substitute for fuel is 
universal among the Indians of these upper prairies, and 
is said to make a fire equal to that of turf. If a few chips 
are added, it throws out a cheerful and kindly blaze. 

These plains, however, had not always been equally 
destitute of wood, as was evident from the trunks of the 
trees which the travellers repeatedly met with, some still 
standing, others lying about in broken fragments, but all 
in a fossil state, having flourished in times long past. In 
tnese singular remains, the original grain of the wood 
was still so distinct that they could be ascertained to be 
the ruins of oak trees. Several pieces of the fossil wood 
were selected by the men to serve as whetstones. 

21 321 








322 


AtiTOBIA . 


In this part of the journey there was no lack of provis¬ 
ions, for the prairies were covered with immense herds 
of buffalo. These, in general, are animals of peaceful 
demeanor, grazing quietly like domestic cattle; but 
this was the season when they are in heat, and when 
the bulls are usually fierce and pugnacious. There was 
accordingly a universal restlessness and commotion 
throughout the plain; and the amorous herds gave utter¬ 
ance to their feelings in low bellowings that resounded 
like distant thunder. Here and there fierce duellos took 
place between rival enamorados; butting their huge 
shagged fronts together, goring each other with their 
short black horns, and tearing up the earth with their 
feet in perfect fury. 

In one of the evening halts, Pierre Dorion, the inter¬ 
preter, together with Carson and Gardpie, two of the 
hunters, were missing, nor had they returned by morn¬ 
ing. As it was supposed they had wandered away in 
pursuit of buffalo, and would readily find the track of 
the party, no solicitude was felt on their account. A fire 
was left burning, to guide them by its column of smoke, 
and the travellers proceeded on their march. In the 
evening a signal fire was made on a hill adjacent to the 
camp, and in the morning it was replenished with fuel so 
as to last throughout the day. These signals are usual 
among the Indians, to give warnings to each other, or to 
call home straggling hunters; and such is the trans¬ 
parency of the atmosphere in those elevated plains, that 


THE LOST HUNTERS. 


323 


ft slight column of smoke can be discerned from a great 
distance, particularly in the evenings. Two or three 
days elapsed, however, without the reappearance of the 
three hunters ; and Mr. Hunt slackened his march to 
give them time to overtake him. 

A vigilant watch continued to be kept upon the move¬ 
ments of Eose, and of such of the men as were consid¬ 
ered doubtful in their loyalty; but nothing occurred ta 
excite immediate apprehensions. Eose evidently was 
not a favorite among his comrades, and it was hoped 
that he had not been able to make any real partisans. 

On the 10th of August they encamped among hills, on 
the highest peak of which Mr. Hunt caused a huge pyre 
of pine wood to be made, which soon sent up a great 
column of flame that might be seen far and wide over the 
prairies. This fire blazed all night, and was amply re¬ 
plenished at daybreak; so that the towering pillar of 
smoke could not but be descried by the wanderers if 
within the distance of a day’s journey. 

It is a common occurrence in these regions, where the 
features of the country so much resemble each other, for 
hunters to lose themselves and wander for many days, 
before they can find their way back to the main body of 
their party. In the present instance, however, a more 
than common solicitude was felt, in consequence of the 
distrust awakened by the sinister designs of Eose. 

The route now became excessively toilsome, over a 
ridge of steep rocky hills, covered with loose stones. 


324 


ASTORIA . 


These were intersected by deep valleys, formed by two 
branches of Big River, coming from the south of west, 
both of which they crossed. These streams were bor¬ 
dered by meadows, well stocked with buffaloes. Loads 
of meat were brought in by the hunters; but the trav¬ 
ellers were rendered dainty by profusion, and would 
cook only the choice pieces. 

They had now travelled for several days at a very slow 
rate, and had made signal-fires and left traces of their 
route at every stage, yet nothing was heard or seen 
of the lost men. It began to be feared that they might 
have fallen into the hands of some lurking band of sav¬ 
ages. A party numerous as that of Mr. Hunt, with a 
long train of pack-horses, moving across open plains or 
naked hills, is discoverable at a great distance by Indian 
scouts, who spread the intelligence rapidly to various 
points, and assemble their friends to hang about the 
skirts of the travellers, steal their horses, or cut off any 
stragglers from the main body. 

Mr. Hunt and his companions were more and more 
sensible how much it would be in the power of this sul¬ 
len and daring vagabond Rose, to do them mischief, 
when they should become entangled in the defiles of the 
mountains, with the passes of which they were wholly 
unacquainted, and which were infested by his freeboot- 
ing friends, the Crows. There, should he succeed in 
seducing some of the party into his plans, he might carry 
off the best horses and effects, throw himself among his 


A BRIBE TO BE HONEST. 


325 


savage allies, and set all pursuit at defiance. Mr. Hunt 
resolved, therefore, to frustrate the knave, divert hi m , by 
management, from his plans, and make it sufficiently ad¬ 
vantageous for him to remain honest. He took occasion, 
accordingly, in the course of conversation, to inform Rose 
that, having engaged him chiefly as a guide and inter¬ 
preter through the country of the Crows, they would not 
stand in need of his services beyond. Knowing, there¬ 
fore, his connection by marriage with that tribe, and his 
predilection for a residence among them, they would put 
no restraint upon his will, but, whenever they met with a 
party of that people, would leave him at liberty to re¬ 
main among his adopted brethren. Furthermore, that, 
in thus parting with him, they would pay him half a 
year’s wages in consideration of his past services, and 
would give him a horse, three beaver traps, and sundry 
other articles calculated to set him up in the world. 

This unexpected liberality, which made it nearly as 
profitable and infinitely less hazardous for Rose to re¬ 
main honest than to play the rogue, completely disarmed 
him. From that time his whole deportment underwent 
a change. His brow cleared up and appeared more 
cheerful ; he left off his sullen, skulking habits, and 
made no further attempts to tamper with the faith of his 
comrades. 

On the 13th of August Mr. Hunt varied his course, and 
inclined westward, in hopes of falling in with the three 
lost hunters; who, it was now thought, might have 


326 


ASTORIA . 


kept to the right hand of Big Biver. This course soon 
brought him to a fork of the Little Missouri, about a 
hundred yards wide, and resembling the great river of 
the same name in the strength of its current, its turbid 
water, and the frequency of drift-wood and sunken trees. 

Bugged mountains appeared ahead, crowding down to 
the water edge, and offering a barrier to further progress 
on the side they were ascending. Crossing the river, 
therefore, they encamped on its northwest bank, where 
they found good pasturage and buffalo in abundance. 
The weather was overcast and rainy, and a general gloom 
pervaded the camp; the voyageurs sat smoking in 
groups, with their shoulders as high as their heads, 
croaking their foreboding, when suddenly towards even¬ 
ing a shout of joy gave notice that the lost men were 
found. They came slowly lagging into the camp, with 
weary looks, and horses jaded and wayworn. They had, 
in fact, been for several days incessantly on the move. 
In their hunting excursion on the prairies they had 
pushed so far in pursuit of buffalo, as to find it impos¬ 
sible to retrace their steps over plains trampled by in¬ 
numerable herds ; and were baffled by the monotony of 
the landscape in their attempts to recall landmarks. 
They had ridden to and fro until they had almost lost 
the points of the compass, and become totally bewil¬ 
dered ; nor did they ever perceive any of the signal fires 
and columns of smoke made by their comrades. At 
length, about two days previously, when almost spent by 


REJOICINGS IN PIERRE’S FAMILY . 


327 


anxiety and hard riding, they came, to their great joy, 
upon the “ trail ” of the party, which they had since fol¬ 
lowed up steadily. 

Those only, who have experienced the warm cordiality 
that grows up between comrades in wild and adventurous 
expeditions of the kind, can picture to themselves the 
hearty cheering with which the stragglers were welcomed 
to the camp. Every one crowded round them to ask 
questions, and to hear the story of their mishaps ; and 
even the squaw of the moody half-breed, Pierre Dorion, 
forgot the sternness of his domestic rule, and the con¬ 
jugal discipline of the cudgel, in her joy at his safe 
return. 


CHAPTER XXVL 


THI BLACK MOUNTAINS.—HAUNTS OF PREDATORY INDIANS.—TH1IR WILD 
AND BROKEN APPEARANCE.—SUPERSTITIONS CONCERNING THEM.—THUNDER 
SPIRITS.—SINGULAR NOISES IN THE MOUNTAINS.—SECRET MINES.—HIDDEN 
TREASURES.—MOUNTAINS IN LABOR.—SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION.—IMPASSI¬ 
BLE DEFILES.—BLACK-TAILED DEER.—THE BIGHORN OR AHSAHTA.—PROS¬ 
PECT FROM A LOFTY HEIGHT.—PLAIN WITH HERDS OF BUFFALO.—DISTANT 
PEAKS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.—ALARMS IN THE CAMP.—TRACKS OF 
GRIZZLY BEARS.—DANGEROUS NATURE OF THIS ANIMAL.—ADVENTURES OF 
WILLIAM CANNON AND JOHN DAY WITH GRIZZLY BEARS. 



B. HUNT and his party were now on the skirts 
of the Black Hills, or Black Mountains, as they 
are sometimes called ; an extensive chain, lying 
about a hundred miles east of the Bocky Mountains, and 
stretching in a northeast direction from the south fork of 
the Nebraska, or Platte Biver, to the great north bend of 
the Missouri. The Sierra or ridge of the Black Hills, in 
fact, forms the dividing line between the waters of the 
Missouri and those of the Arkansas and the Mississippi, 
and gives rise to the Cheyenne, the Little Missouri, and 
several tributary streams of the Yellowstone. 

The wild recesses of these hills, like those of the 
Bocky Mountains, are retreats and lurking-places for 
broken and predatory tribes, and it was among them 

328 









SINGULAR MOUNTAIN PHENOMENON. 


329 


that the remnant of the Cheyenne tribe took refuge, 
as has been stated, from their conquering enemies, the 
Sioux. 

The Black Hills are chiefly composed of sandstone, 
and in many places are broken into savage cliffs and 
precipices, and present the most singular and fantastic 
forms ; sometimes resembling towns and castellated for¬ 
tresses. The ignorant inhabitants of plains are prone to 
clothe the mountains that bound their horizon with fan¬ 
ciful and superstitious attributes. Thus the wandering 
tribes of the prairies, who often behold clouds gathering 
round the summits of these hills, and lightning flashing, 
and thunder pealing from them, when all the neighboring 
plains are serene and sunny, consider them the abode of 
the genii or thunder-spirits who fabricate storms and 
tempests. On entering their defiles, therefore, they often 
hang offerings on the trees, or place them on the rocks, to 
propitiate the invisible “ lords of the mountains,” and 
procure good weather and successful hunting; and they 
attach unusual significance to the echoes which haunt 
the precipices. This superstition may also have arisen, 
in part, from a natural phenomenon of a singular nature. 
In the most calm and serene weather, and at all times of 
the day or night, successive reports are now and then 
heard among these mountains, resembling the discharge 
of several pieces of artillery. Similar reports were heard 
by Messrs. Lewis and Clarke in the Rocky Mountains, 
which they say were attributed by the Indians to the 


330 


ASTORIA. 


bursting of the rich mines of silver contained in the 
bosom of the mountains. 

In fact, these singular explosions have received fanci¬ 
ful explanations from learned men, and have not been 
satisfactorily accounted for even by philosophers. They 
are said to occur frequently in Brazil. Vasconcelles, a 
Jesuit father, describes one which he heard in the Sierra, 
or mountain region of Piratininga, and which he com¬ 
pares to the discharges of a park of artillery. The In¬ 
dians told him that it was an explosion of stones. The 
worthy father had soon a satisfactory proof of the truth 
of their information, for the very place was found where 
a rock had burst and exploded from its entrails a stony 
mass, like a bomb-shell, and of the size of a bull’s heart. 
This mass was broken either in its ejection or its fall, 
and wonderful was the internal organization revealed. It 
had a shell harder even than iron; within which were 
arranged, like the seeds of a pomegranate, jewels of vari¬ 
ous colors ; some transparent as crystal; others of a fine 
red, and others of mixed hues. The same phenomenon 
is said to occur occasionally in the adjacent province of 
Guayra, where stones of the bigness of a man’s hand are 
exploded, with a loud noise, from the bosom of the earth, 
and scatter about glittering and beautiful fragments that 
look like precious gems, but are of no value. 

The Indians of the Orellanna, also, tell of horrible 
noises heard occasionally in the Paraguaxo, which they 
consider the throes and groans of the mountain, endoav- 


THE BIGHORN\ 


331 


oring to cast forth the precious stones hidden within its 
entrails. Others have endeavored to account for these 
discharges of “mountain artillery” on humbler princi¬ 
ples ; attributing them to the loud reports made by the 
disruption and fall of great masses of rock, reverberated 
and prolonged by the echoes; others, to the disengage¬ 
ment of hydrogen, produced by subterraneous beds of 
coal in a state of ignition. In whatever way this singular 
phenomenon may be accounted for, the existence of it 
appears to be well established. It remains one of the 
lingering mysteries of nature which throw something of 
a supernatural charm over her wild mountain solitudes; 
and we doubt whether the imaginative reader will not 
rather join with the poor Indian in attributing it to the 
thunder-spirits, or the guardian genii of unseen trea¬ 
sures, than to any commonplace physical cause. 

Whatever might be the supernatural influences among 
these mountains, the travellers found their physical diffi¬ 
culties hard to cope with. They made repeated attempts 
to find a passage through or over the chain, but were as 
often turned back by impassible barriers. Sometimes a 
defile seemed to open a practicable path, but it would 
terminate in some wild chaos of rocks and cliffs, which it 
was impossible to climb. The animals of these solitary 
regions were different from those they had been accus¬ 
tomed to. The black-tailed deer would bound up the 
ravines on their approach, and the bighorn would gaze 
fearlessly down upon them from some impending preci- 


332 


ASTORIA. 


pice, or skip playfully from rock to rock. These animals 
are only to be met with in mountainous regions. The 
former is larger than the common deer, but its flesh is 
not equally esteemed by hunters. It has very large ears, 
and the tip of the tail is black, from which it derives its 
name. 

The bighorn is so named from its horns ; which are of 
a great size, and twisted like those of a ram. It is called 
by some the argali, by others the ibex, though differing 
from both of these animals. The Mandans call it the 
ahsahta, a name much better than the clumsy appellation 
which it generally bears. It is of the size of a small elk, 
or large deer, and of a dun color, excepting the belly and 
round the tail, where it is white. In its habits it resem¬ 
bles the goat, frequenting the rudest precipices; crop¬ 
ping the herbage from their edges ; and like the chamois, 
bounding lightly and securely among dizzy heights, where 
the hunter dares not venture. It is difficult, therefore, to 
get within shot of it. Ben Jones the hunter, however, in 
one of the passes of the Black Hills, succeeded in bring¬ 
ing down a bighorn from the verge of a precipice, the 
flesh of which was pronounced by the gormands of the 
camp to have the flavor of excellent mutton. 

Baffled in his attempts to traverse this mountain chain, 
Mr. Hunt skirted along it to the southwest, keeping it on 
the right; and still in hopes of finding an opening. At 
an early hour one day, he encamped in a narrow valley 
on the banks of a beautifully clear but rushy pool; sur* 


THE GRIZZLY BEAR. 


333 


rounded by thickets bearing abundance of wild cherries, 
currants, and yellow and purple gooseberries. 

While the afternoon’s meal was in preparation, Mr. 
Hunt and Mr. M’Kenzie ascended to the summit of the 
nearest hill, from whence, aided by the purity and trans¬ 
parency of the evening atmosphere, they commanded a 
vast prospect on all sides. Below them extended a plain, 
dotted with innumerable herds of buffalo. Some were 
lying down among the herbage, others roaming in their 
unbounded pastures, while many were engaged in fierce 
contests like those already described, their low bellow- 
ings reaching the ear like the hoarse murmurs of the 
surf on a distant shore. 

Far off in the west they descried a range of lofty 
mountains printing the clear horizon, some of them evi¬ 
dently capped with snow. These they supposed to be 
the Bighorn Mountains, so called from the animal of 
that name, with which they abound. They are a spur of 
the great Rocky chain. The hill from whence Mr. Hunt 
had this prospect was, according to his computation, 
about two hundred and fifty miles from the Arickara 
village. 

On returning to the camp, Mr. Hunt found some un¬ 
easiness prevailing among the Canadian voyageurs. In 
straying among the thickets they had beheld tracks of 
grizzly bears in every direction, doubtless attracted 
thither by the fruit. To their dismay, they now found 
that they had encamped in one of the favorite resorts of 


334 


ASTORIA. 


this dreaded animal. The idea marred all the comfort 
of the encampment. As night closed, the surrounding 
thickets were peopled with terrors; insomuch that, ac¬ 
cording to Mr. Hunt, they could not help starting at 
every little breeze that stirred the bushes. 

The grizzly bear is the only really formidable quad¬ 
ruped of our continent. He is the favorite theme of the 
hunters of the far West, who describe him as equal in 
size to a common cow and of prodigious strength. He 
makes battle if assailed, and often, if pressed by hunger, 
is the assailant. If wounded, he becomes furious and 
will pursue the hunter. His speed exceeds that of a man 
but is inferior to that of a horse. In attacking he rears 
himself on his hind legs, and springs the length of his 
body. Woe to horse or rider that comes within the 
sweep of his terrific claws, which are sometimes nine 
inches in length, and tear everything before them. 

At the time we are treating of, the grizzly bear was 
still frequent on the Missouri and in the lower country, 
but, like some of the broken tribes of the prairie, he has 
gradually fallen back before his enemies, and is now 
chiefly to be found in the upland regions, in rugged fast¬ 
nesses like those of the Black Hills and the Bocky 
Mountains. Here he lurks in caverns, or holes which he 
has digged in the sides of hills, or under the roots and 
trunks of fallen trees. Like the common bear, he is fond 
of fruits, and mast, and roots, the latter of which he will 
dig up with his fore claws. He is carnivorous also, and 


ADVENTURE OF WILLIAM CANNON. 


335 


will even attack and conquer the lordly buffalo, dragging 
his huge carcass to the neighborhood of his den, that he 
may prey upon it at his leisure. 

The hunters, both white and red men, consider this the 
most heroic game. They prefer to hunt him on horse¬ 
back, and will venture so near as sometimes to singe his 
hair with the flash of the rifle. The hunter of the grizzly 
bear, however, must be an experienced hand, and know 
where to aim at a vital part; for of all quadrupeds, he is 
the most difficult to be killed. He will receive repeated 
wounds without flinching, and rarely is a shot mortal 
unless through the head or heart. 

That the dangers apprehended from the grizzly bear, 
at this night encampment, were not imaginary, was 
proved on the following morning. Among the hired men 
of the party was one William Cannon, who had been a 
soldier at one of the frontier posts, and entered into the 
employ of Mr. Hunt at Mackinaw. He was an inex¬ 
perienced hunter and a poor shot, for which he was 
much bantered by his more adroit comrades. Piqued at 
their raillery, he had been practicing ever since he had 
joined the expedition, but without success. In the course 
of the present afternoon, he went forth by himself to take 
a lesson in venerie, and, to his great delight, had the 
good fortune to kill a buffalo. As he was a considerable 
distance from the camp, he cut out the tongue and some 
of the choice bits, made them into a parcel, and slinging 
them on his shoulders by a strap passed round his fore- 


336 


ASTORIA. 


head, as the voyageurs carry packages of goods, set out 
all glorious for the camp, anticipating a triumph over his 
brother hunters. In passing through a narrow ravine, he 
heard a noise behind him, and looking round beheld, to 
his dismay, a grizzly bear in full pursuit, apparently at¬ 
tracted by the scent of the meat. Cannon had heard so 
much of the invulnerability of this tremendous animal, 
that he never attempted to fire, but, slipping the strap 
from his forehead, let go the buffalo meat and ran for his 
life. The bear did not stop to regale himself with the 
game, but kept on after the hunter. He had nearly over¬ 
taken him when Cannon reached a tree, and, throwing 
down his rifle, scrambled up it. The next instant Bruin 
was at the foot of the tree ; but, as this species of bear 
does not climb, he contented himself with turning the 
chase into a blockade. Night came on. In the darkness 
Cannon could not perceive whether or not the enemy 
maintained his station; but his fears pictured him rigor¬ 
ously mounting guard. He passed the night, therefore, 
in the tree, a prey to dismal fancies. In the morning the 
bear was gone. Cannon warily descended the tree, gath¬ 
ered up his gun, and made the best of his way back to 
the camp, without venturing to look after his buffalo 
meat. 

While on this theme we will add another anecdote of 
an adventure with a grizzly bear, told of John Hay, the 
Kentucky hunter, but which happened at a different 
period of the expedition. Day was hunting in company 


JOHN BAY AND THE GRIZZLY . 


337 


with one of the clerks of the company, a lively youngster, 
who was a great favorite with the veteran, but whose 
vivacity he had continually to keep in check. They were 
in search of deer, when suddenly a huge grizzly bear 
emerged from a thicket about thirty yards distant, rear¬ 
ing himself upon his hind legs with a terrific growl, and 
displaying a hideous array of teeth and claws. The rifle 
of the young man was leveled in an instant, but John 
Day’s iron hand was as quickly upon his arm. “ Be 
quiet, boy ! be quiet! ” exclaimed the hunter between his 
clenched teeth, and without turning his eyes from the 
bear. They remained motionless. The monster regarded 
them for a time, then, lowering himself on his fore paws, 
slowly withdrew. He had not gone many paces before 
he again returned, reared himself on his hind legs, and 
repeated his menace. Day’s hand was still on the arm of 
his young companion; he again pressed it hard, and kept 
repeating between his teeth, “ Quiet, boy !—keep quiet! 
—keep quiet! ”—though the latter had not made a move 
since his first prohibition. The bear again lowered him¬ 
self on all fours, retreated some twenty yards further, and 
again turned, reared, showed his teeth, and growled. 
This third menace was too much for the game spirit of 
John Day. “By Jove !” exclaimed he, “ I can stand this 
no longer,” and in an instant a ball from his rifle whizzed 
into the foe. The wound was not mortal; but, luckily, it 
dismayed instead of enraging the animal, and he re¬ 
treated into the thicket 


22 


338 


ASTORIA . 


Day’s young companion reproached him for not prac¬ 
ticing the caution which he enjoined upon others. “Why, 
boy,” replied the veteran, “ caution is caution, but one 
must not put up with too much, even from a bear. 
Would you have me suffer myself to be bullied all day 
by a varmint ? ” 


CHAPTER XXVH 


INDIAN TRAIL.—ROUGH MOUNTAIN TRAVELLING.—SUFFERINGS FROM HUNGER 
AND THIRST.—POWDER RIVER.—GAME IN ABUNDANCE.—A HUNTER’S PARA¬ 
DISE.—MOUNTAIN PEAK SEEN AT A GREAT DISTANCE.—ONE OF THE BIG¬ 
HORN CHAIN.—ROCKY MOUNTAINS.— EXTENT. — APPEARANCE. — HEIGHT.— 
THE GREAT AMERICAN DESERT.—VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MOUN¬ 
TAINS.—INDIAN SUPERSTITIONS CONCERNING THEM.—LAND OF SOULS.— 
TOWNS OF THE FREE AND GENEROUS SPIRITS.—HAPPY HUNTING GROUNDS. 


OR the two following days, the travellers pur¬ 
sued a westerly course for thirty-four miles 
along a ridge of country dividing the tributary 
waters of the Missouri and the Yellowstone. As land¬ 
marks they guided themselves by the summits of the far 
distant mountains, which they supposed to belong to the 
Bighorn chain. They were gradually rising into a higher 
temperature, for the weather was cold for the season, 
with a sharp frost in the night, and ice of an eighth of an 
inch in thickness. 

On the twenty-second of August, early in the day, they 
came upon the trail of a numerous band. Rose and the 
other hunters examined the foot-prints with great atten¬ 
tion, and determined it to be the trail of a party of 
Crows, returning from an annual trading visit to the 

33ft 









340 


ASTORIA . 


Mandans. As this trail afforded more commodious trav¬ 
elling, they immediately struck into it, and followed it 
for two days. It led them over rough hills, and through 
broken gullies, during which time they suffered great 
fatigue from the ruggedness of the country. The 
weather, too, which had recently been frosty, was now 
oppressively warm, and there was a great scarcity of 
water, insomuch that a valuable dog belonging to Mr. 
M’Kenzie died of thirst. 

At one time they had twenty-five miles of painful 
travel, without a drop of w r ater, until they arrived ai 
a small running stream. Here they eagerly slaked their 
thirst; but, this being allayed, the calls of hunger be¬ 
came equally importunate. Ever since they had got 
among these barren and arid hills, where there was a 
deficiency of grass, they had met with no buffaloes: 
those animals keeping in the grassy meadows near the 
streams. They were obliged, therefore, to have recourse 
to their corn meal, which they reserved for such emer¬ 
gencies. Some, however, were lucky enough to kill a 
wolf, which they cooked for supper, and pronounced 
excellent food. 

The next morning they resumed their wayfaring, hun¬ 
gry and jaded, and had a dogged march of eighteen miles 
among the same kind of hills. At length they emerged 
upon a stream of clear water, one of the forks of Powder 
Eiver, and to their great joy beheld once more wide 
grassy meadows, stocked with herds of buffalo. For 


A HUNTER'S PARADISE. 


341 


several days they kept along the banks of the river, 
ascending it about eighteen miles. It was a hunter’s 
paradise; the buffaloes were in such abundance that they 
were enabled to kill as many as they pleased, and to jerk 
a sufficient supply of meat for several days’ journeying. 
Here, then, they reveled and reposed after their hungry 
and weary travel, hunting and feasting, and reclining 
upon the grass. Their quiet, however, was a little mar¬ 
red by coming upon traces of Indians, who, they con¬ 
cluded, must be Crows : they were therefore obliged to 
keep a more vigilant watch than ever upon their horses. 
For several days they had been directing their march 
towards the lofty mountain descried by Mr. Hunt and 
Mr. M’Kenzie on the 17th of August, the height of which 
rendered it a landmark over a vast extent of country. At 
first it had appeared to them solitary and detached; but 
as they advanced towards it, it proved to be the principal 
summit of a chain of mountains. Day by day it varied 
in form, or rather its lower peaks, and the summits of 
others of the chain emerged above the clear horizon, and 
finally the inferior line of hills which connected most of 
them rose to view. So far, however, are objects discern¬ 
ible in the pure atmosphere of these elevated plains, 
that, from the place where they first descried the main 
mountain, they had to travel a hundred and fifty miles 
before they reached its base. Here they encamped on 
the 30th of August, having come nearly four hundred 
miles since leaving the Arickara village. 


342 


ASTORIA. 


The mountain which now towered above them was one 
of the Bighorn chain, bordered by a river, of the same 
name, and extending for a long distance rather east 
of north and west of south. It was a part of the great 
system of granite mountains which forms one of the 
most important and striking features of North America, 
stretching parallel to the coast of the Pacific from the 
Isthmus of Panama almost to the Arctic Ocean ; and pre¬ 
senting a corresponding chain to that of the Andes in the 
southern hemisphere. This vast range has acquired, 
from its rugged and broken character and its summits of 
naked granite, the appellation of the Bocky Mountains, a 
name by no means distinctive, as all elevated ranges are 
rocky. Among the early explorers it was known as the 
range of Chippewyan Mountains, and this Indian name is 
the one it is likely to retain in poetic usage. Rising from 
the midst of vast plains and prairies, traversing several 
degrees of latitude, dividing the waters of the Atlantic 
and the Pacific, and seeming to bind with diverging 
ridges the level regions on its flanks, it has been figura¬ 
tively termed the backbone of the northern continent. 

The Rocky Mountains do not present a range of uni¬ 
form elevation, but rather groups and occasionally de¬ 
tached peaks. Though some of these rise to the region 
of perpetual snows, and are upwards of eleven thousand 
feet in real altitude, yet their height from their imme¬ 
diate basis is not so great as might be imagined, as they 
swell up from elevated plains, several thousand feet 


TEE GREAT AMERICAN DESERT 


343 


above the level of the ocean. These plains are often of a 
desolate sterility; mere sandy wastes, formed of the de¬ 
tritus of the granite heights, destitute of trees and herb¬ 
age, scorched by the ardent and reflected rays of the 
summer’s sun, and in winter swept by chilling blasts 
from the snow-clad mountains. Such is a great part of 
that vast region extending north and south along the 
mountains, several hundred miles in width, which has 
not improperly been termed the Great American Desert. 
It is a region that almost discourages all hope of cultiva¬ 
tion, and can only be traversed with safety by keeping 
near the streams which intersect it. Extensive plains 
likewise occur among the higher regions of the moun¬ 
tains, of considerable fertility. Indeed, these lofty plats 
of table-land seem to form a peculiar feature in the 
American continents. Some occur among the Cordilleras 
of the Andes, where cities, and towns, and cultivated 
farms are to be seen eight thousand feet above the level 
of the sea. 

The Bocky Mountains, as we have already observed, 
occur sometimes singly or in groups, and occasionally in 
collateral ridges. Between these are deep valleys, with 
small streams winding through them, which find their 
way into the lower plains, augmenting as they proceed, 
and ultimately discharging themselves into those vast 
rivers, which traverse the prairies like great arteries, and 
drain the continent. 

While the granitic summits of the Bocky Mountains 


344 


ASTORIA . 


are bleak and bare, many of tbe inferior ridges are scan* 
tily clothed with scrubbed pines, oaks, cedar, and furze. 
"Various parts of the mountains also bear traces of vol¬ 
canic action. Some of the interior valleys are strewed 
with scoria and broken stones, evidently of volcanic 
origin; the surrounding rocks bear the like character, 
and vestiges of extinguished craters are to be seen on 
the elevated heights. 

We have already noticed the superstitious feelings with 
which the Indians regard the Black Hills; but this im¬ 
mense range of mountains, which divides all that they 
know of the world, and gives birth to such mighty rivers, 
is still more an object of awe and veneration. They call 
it “the crest of the world,” and think that Wacondah, or 
the master of life, as they designate the Supreme Being, 
has his residence among these aerial heights. The tribes 
on the eastern prairies call them the mountains of the 
setting sun. Some of them place the “ happy hunting- 
grounds,” their ideal paradise, among the recesses of 
these mountains ; but say that they are invisible to living 
men. Here also is the “ Land of Souls,” in which are 
the “ towns of the free and generous spirits,” where those 
who have pleased the master of life while living, enjoy 
after death all manner of delights. 

Wonders are told of these mountains by the distant 
tribes, whose warriors or hunters have ever wandered in 
their neighborhood. It is thought by some that, after 
death, they will have to travel to these mountains and 


TOWNS OF THE GENEROUS SPIRITS. 


345 


ascend one of their highest and most rugged peaks, 
among rocks and snows and tumbling torrents. After 
many moons of painful toil they will reach the summit, 
from whence they will have a view over the land of souls. 
There they will see the happy hunting-grounds, with the 
souls of the brave and good living in tents in green 
meadows, by bright running streams, or hunting the 
herds of buffalo, and elk, and deer, which have been slain 
on earth. There, too, they will see the villages or towns 
of the free and generous spirits brightening in the midst 
of delicious prairies. If they have acquitted themselves 
well while living, they will be permitted to descend and 
enjoy this happy country; if otherwise they will but be 
tantalized with this prospect of it, and then hurled back 
from the mountain to wander about the sandy plains, 
and endure the eternal pangs of unsatisfied thirst and 
hunger. 


CHAPTER XXVIIL 


KlUGION OF THE CROW INDIANS.—SCOUTS ON THE LOOKOUT.—VISIT FROM A 
CREW OF HARD RIDERS.—A CROW CAMP.—PRESENTS TO THE CROW CHIEF.— 
BARGAINING.—CROW BULLIES.—ROSE AMONG HIS INDIAN FRIENDS.—PART¬ 
ING WITH THE CROWS.—PERPLEXITIES AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.—MORE OF 
THE CROWS.—EQUESTRIAN CHILDREN,—SEARCH AFTER STRAGGLERS. 

HE travellers had now arrived in the vicinity of 
the mountain regions infested by the Crow In¬ 
dians. These restless marauders, as has al¬ 
ready been observed, are apt to be continually on the 
prowl about the skirts of the mountains ; and even when 
encamped in some deep and secluded glen, they keep 
scouts upon the cliffs and promontories, who, unseen 
themselves, can discern every living thing that moves 
over the subjacent plains and valleys. It was not to be 
expected that our travellers could pass unseen through a 
region thus vigilantly sentineled; accordingly, in the 
edge of the evening, not long after they had encamped at 
the foot of the Bighorn Sierra, a couple of wild-looking 
beings, scantily clad in skins, but well armed, and 
mounted on horses as wild-looking as themselves, were 
seen approaching with great caution from among the 
rocks. They might have been mistaken for two of the 







CROW HORSEMANSHIP . 


347 


evil spirits of tlie mountains so formidable in Indian 
fable. 

Rose was immediately sent out to bold a parley with 
them, and invite them to the camp. They proved to be 
two scouts from the same band that had been tracked for 
some days past, and which was now encamped at some 
distance in the folds of the mountain. They were easily 
prevailed upon to come to the camp, where they were 
well received, and, after remaining there until late in the 
evening, departed to make a report of all they had seen 
and experienced to their companions. 

The following day had scarce dawned, when a troop of 
these wild mountain scamperers came galloping with 
whoops and yells into the camp, bringing an invitation 
from their chief for the white men to visit him. The 
tents were accordingly struck, the horses laden, and the 
party were soon on the march. The Crow horsemen, as 
they escorted them, appeared to take pride in showing 
off their equestrian skill and hardihood; careering at full 
speed on their half-savage steeds, and dashing among 
rocks and crags, and up and down the most rugged and 
dangerous places with perfect ease and unconcern. 

A ride of sixteen miles brought them, in the afternoon, 
in sight of the Crow camp. It was composed of leathern 
tents, pitched in a meadow on the border of a small 
clear stream at the foot of the mountain. A great num¬ 
ber of horses were grazing in the vicinity, many of them 
doubtless captured in marauding excursions. 


348 


ASTORIA . 


The Crow chieftain came forth to meet his guests with 
great professions of friendship, and conducted them to 
his tents, pointing out, bj the way, a convenient place 
where they might fix their camp. No sooner had they 
done so, than Mr. Hunt opened some of the packages and 
made the chief a present of a scarlet blanket and a quan¬ 
tity of powder and ball; he gave him also some knives, 
trinkets, and tobacco to be distributed among his war¬ 
riors, with all which the grim potentate seemed, for the 
time, well pleased. As the Crows, however, were reputed 
to be perfidious in the extreme, and as errant freeboot¬ 
ers as the bird after which they were so worthily named; 
and as their general feelings towards the whites were 
known to be by no means friendly, the intercourse with 
them was conducted with great circumspection. 

The following day was passed in trading with the 
Crows for buffalo robes and skins, and in bartering galled 
and jaded horses for others that were in good condition. 
Some of the men, also, purchased horses on their own 
account, so that the number now amounted to one hun¬ 
dred and twenty-one, most of them sound and active, 
and fit for mountain service. 

Their wants being supplied, they ceased all further 
traffic, much to the dissatisfaction of the Crows, who 
became extremely urgent to continue the trade, and, find¬ 
ing their importunities of no avail, assumed an insolent 
and menacing tone. All this was attributed by Mr. Hunt 
and his associates to the perfidious instigations of Hose 


PARTING WITH THE CROWS. 


349 


the interpreter, whom they suspected of the desire to 
foment ill-will between them and the savages, for the 
promotion of his nefarious plans. M’Lellan, with his 
usual tranchant mode of dealing out justice, resolved to 
shoot the desperado on the spot in case of any outbreak. 
Nothing of the kind, however, occurred. The Crows were 
probably daunted by the resolute, though quiet de¬ 
meanor of the white men, and the constant vigilance and 
armed preparations which they maintained ; and Rose, if 
he really still harbored his knavish designs, must have 
perceived that they were suspected, and, if attempted to 
be carried into effect, might bring ruin on his own head. 

The next morning, bright and early, Mr. Hunt pro¬ 
posed to resume his journeying. He took a ceremonious 
leave of the Crow chieftain, and his vagabond warriors, 
and according to previous arrangements, consigned to 
their cherishing friendship and fraternal adoption, their 
worthy confederate Rose; who, having figured among the 
water pirates of the Mississippi, was well fitted to rise to 
distinction among the land pirates of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains. 

It is proper to add, that the ruffian was well received 
among the tribe, and appeared to be perfectly satisfied 
With the compromise he had made; feeling much more 
at his ease among savages than among white men. It is 
outcasts from civilization, fugitives from justice, and 
heartless desperadoes of this kind who sow the seeds of 
enmity and bitterness among the unfortunate tribes of 


350 


ASTORIA. 


the frontier. There is no enemy so implacable against a 
country or a community as one of its own people who 
has rendered himself an alien by his crimes. 

Eight glad to be delivered from this treacherous com¬ 
panion, Mr. Hunt pursued his course along the skirts of 
the mountain, in a southern direction, seeking for some 
practicable defile by which he might pass through it; 
none such presented, however, in the course of fifteen 
miles, and he encamped on a small stream, still on the 
outskirts. The green meadows which border these 
mountain streams are generally well stocked with game, 
and the hunters killed several fat elks, which supplied 
the camp with fresh meat. In the evening the travellers 
were surprised by an unwelcome visit from several Crows 
belonging to a different band from that which they 
recently left, and who said their camp was among the 
mountains. The consciousness of being environed by 
such dangerous neighbors, and of being still within the 
range of Eose and his fellow ruffians, obliged the party 
to be continually on the alert, and to maintain weary 
vigils throughout the night, lest they should be robbed 
of their horses. 

On the third of September, finding that the mountain 
still stretched onwards, presenting a continued barrier, 
they endeavored to force a passage to the westward, but 
soon became entangled among rocks and precipices which 
set all their efforts at defiance. The mountain seemed, 
for the most part, rugged, bare, and sterile ; yet here and 


UNWELCOME VISITORS. 


351 


there it was clothed with pines, and with shrubs and 
flowering plants, some of which were in bloom. In toil¬ 
ing among these weary places, their thirst became exces¬ 
sive, for no water was to be met with. Numbers of the 
men wandered off into rocky dells and ravines in hopes 
of finding some brook or fountain; some of whom lost 
their way and did not rejoin the main party. 

After a day of painful and fruitless scrambling, Mr. 
Hunt gave up the attempt to penetrate in this direction, 
and, returning to the little stream on the skirts of the 
mountain, pitched his tents within six miles of his en¬ 
campment of the preceding night. He now ordered that 
signals should be made for the stragglers in quest of 
water; but the night passed away without their return. 

The next morning, to their surprise, Rose made his 
appearance at the camp, accompanied by some of his 
Crow associates. His unwelcome visit revived their sus¬ 
picions ; but he announced himself as a messenger of 
good-will from the chief, who, finding they had taken the 
wrong road, had sent Rose and his companions to guide 
them to a nearer and better one across the mountain. 

Having no choice, being themselves utterly at fault, 
they set out under this questionable escort. They had 
not gone far before they fell in with the whole party of 
Crows, who, they now found, were going the same road 
with themselves. The two cavalcades of white and red 
men, therefore, pushed on together, and presented a wild 
and picturesque spectacle, as, equipped with various 


352 


ASTORIA. 


weapons and in various garbs, with trains of pack-horses, 
they wound in long lines through the rugged defiles, and 
up and down the crags and steeps of the mountain. 

The travellers had again an opportunity to see and 
admire the equestrian habitudes and address of this 
hard-riding tribe. They were all mounted, man, woman, 
and child, for the Crows have horses in abundance, so 
that no one goes on foot. The children are perfect imps 
on horseback. Among them was one so young that he 
could not yet speak. He was tied on a colt of two years 
old, but managed the reins as if by instinct, and plied 
the whip with true Indian prodigality. Mr. Hunt in¬ 
quired the age of this infant jockey, and was answered 
that “he had seen two winters.” 

This is almost realizing the fable of the centaurs; nor 
can we wonder at the equestrian adroitness of these sav¬ 
ages, who are thus in a manner cradled in the saddle, 
and become in infancy almost identified with the animal 
they bestride. 

The mountain defiles were exceedingly rough and bro¬ 
ken, and the travelling painful to the burdened horses. 
The party, therefore, proceeded but slowly, and were 
gradually left behind by the band of Crows, who had 
taken the lead. It is more than probable that Mr. 
Hunt loitered in his course, to get rid of such doubtful 
fellow-travellers. Certain it is that he felt a sensation of 
relief as he saw the whole crew, the renegade Eose and 
all, disappear among the windings of the mountain, and 


RETURN OF THE STRAGGLERS. 


353 


heard the last yelp of the savages die away in the dis¬ 
tance. 

When they were fairly out of sight, and out of hearing, 
he encamped on the head waters of the little stream of 
the preceding day, having come about sixteen miles. 
Here he remained all the succeeding day, as well to give 
time for the Crows to get in the advance, as for the strag¬ 
glers, who had wandered away in quest of water two 
days previously, to rejoin the camp. Indeed, considera¬ 
ble uneasiness began to be felt concerning these men, 
lest they should become utterly bewildered in the defiles 
of the mountains, or should fall into the hands of some 
marauding band of savages. Some of the most experi¬ 
enced hunters were sent in search of them; others, in the 
meantime, employed themselves in hunting. The narrow 
valley in which they encamped being watered by a run¬ 
ning stream, yielded fresh pasturage, and though in the 
heart of the Bighorn Mountains, was well stocked with 
buffalo. Several of these were killed, as also a grizzly 
bear. In the evening, to the satisfaction of all parties, 
the stragglers made their appearance, and provisions 
being in abundance, there was hearty good cheer in the 
camp. 


CHAPTER XXIX. 


MOUNTAIN GLENS.—WANDERING BAND OF SAVAGES.—ANECDOTES OF SHOSHON* 
IBS AND FLATHEADS.—ROOT DIGGERS.—THEIR SOLITARY LURKING HABITS.—* 
GNOMES OF THE MOUNTAINS.—WIND RIVER.—SCARCITY OF FOOD.—ALTER* 
ATION OF ROUTE.—THE PILOT KNOBS OR TETONS.—BRANCH OF THE COLO¬ 
RADO.—HUNTING CAMP. 

ESUMING their course on the following morn¬ 
ing, Mr. Hunt and his companions continued 
on westward through a rugged region of hills 
and rocks, but diversified in many places by grassy little 
glens, with springs of water, bright sparkling brooks, 
clumps of pine trees, and a profusion of flowering plants, 
which were in bloom, although the weather was frosty. 
These beautiful and verdant recesses, running through 
and softening the rugged mountains, were cheering and 
refreshing to the wayworn travellers. 

In the course of the morning, as they were entangled 
in a defile, they beheld a small band of savages, as wild¬ 
looking as the surrounding scenery, who reconnoitred 
them warily from the rocks before they ventured to ad¬ 
vance. Some of them were mounted on horses rudely 
caparisoned with bridles or halters of buffalo hide, one 
end trailing after them on the ground. They proved to 

354 








FLATHEADS AND SH0SH0NIE8. 


355 


be a mixed party of Flatheads and Shoshonies, or 
Snakes ; and as these tribes will be frequently mentioned 
in the course of this work, we shall give a few introduc¬ 
tory particulars concerning them. 

The Flatheads in question are not to be confounded 
with those of the name who dwell about the lower waters 
of the Columbia; neither do they flatten their heads, as 
the others do. They inhabit the banks of a river on the 
west side of the mountains, and are described as simple, 
honest, and hospitable. Like all people of similar char¬ 
acter, whether civilized or savage, they are prone to be 
imposed upon; and are especially maltreated by the ruth¬ 
less Blackfeet, who harass them in their villages, steal 
their horses by night, or openly carry them off in the 
face of day, without provoking pursuit or retaliation. 

The Shoshonies are a branch of the once powerful and 
prosperous tribe of the Snakes, who possessed a glorious 
hunting country about the upper forks of the Missouri, 
abounding in beaver and buffalo. Their hunting ground 
was occasionally invaded by the Blackfeet, but the Snakes 
battled bravely for their domains, and a long and bloody 
feud existed, with variable success. At length the Hud¬ 
son’s Bay Company, extending their trade into the in¬ 
terior, had dealings with the Blackfeet, who were nearest 
to them, and supplied them with fire-arms. The Snakes, 
who occasionally traded with the Spaniards, endeavored, 
but in vain, to obtain similar weapons; the Spanish trad¬ 
ers wisely refused to arm them so formidably The 


356 


ASTORIA. 


Blackfeet had now a vast advantage, and soon dispos¬ 
sessed the poor Snakes of their favorite hunting grounds, 
their land of plenty, and drove them from place to place, 
until they were fain to take refuge in the wildest and 
most desolate recesses of the Bocky Mountains. Even 
here they are subject to occasional visits from their im¬ 
placable foes, as long as they have horses, or any other 
property to tempt the plunderer. Thus by degrees the 
Snakes have become a scattered, broken-spirited, impov¬ 
erished people ; keeping about lonely rivers and moun¬ 
tain streams, and subsisting chiefly upon fish. Such )f 
them as still possess horses, and occasionally figure is 
hunters, are called Shoshonies; but there is anotl er 
class, the most abject and forlorn, who are called Shuek- 
ers, or more commonly Diggers and Boot Eaters. These 
are a shy, secret, solitary race, who keep in the most re¬ 
tired parts of the mountains, lurking like gnomes in cav¬ 
erns and clefts of the rocks, and subsisting in a grt at 
measure on the roots of the earth. Sometimes, in pass¬ 
ing through a solitary mountain valley, the traveller 
comes perchance upon the bleeding carcass of a deer or 
buffalo that has just been slain. He looks round in vain 
for the hunter; the whole landscape is lifeless and de¬ 
serted : at length he perceives a thread of smoke, curling 
up from among the crags and cliffs, and scrambling to 
the place, finds some forlorn and skulking brood of Dig¬ 
gers, terrified at being discovered. 

The Shoshonies, however, who, as has been observed, 


DREAD OF THE BLAGKFEET. 


357 


have still “ horse to ride and weapon to wear,” are some¬ 
what bolder in their spirit, and more open and wide in 
their wanderings. In the autumn, when salmon disap¬ 
pear from the rivers, and hunger begins to pinch, they 
even venture down into their ancient hunting grounds, to 
make a foray among the buffaloes. In this perilous en¬ 
terprise they are occasionally joined by the Flatheads, 
the persecutions of the Blackfeet having produced a 
close alliance and cooperation between these luckless 
and maltreated tribes. Still, notwithstanding their united 
force, every step they take within the debatable ground 
is taken in fear and trembling, and with the utmost pre¬ 
caution : and an Indian trader assures us that he has 
seen at least five hundred of them, armed and equipped 
for action, and keeping watch upon the hill tops, while 
about fifty were hunting in the prairie. Their excursions 
are brief and hurried; as soon as they have collected 
and jerked sufficient buffalo meat for winter provisions, 
they pack their horses, abandon the dangerous hunting 
grounds, and hasten back to the mountains, happy if 
they have not the terrible Blackfeet rattling after them. 

Such a confederate band of Shoshonies and Flatheads 
was the one met by our travellers. It was bound on a 
visit to the Arrapahoes, a tribe inhabiting the banks of 
the Nebraska. They were armed to the best of their 
scanty means, and some of the Shoshonies had bucklers 
of buffalo hide, adorned with feathers and leathern 
fringes, and which have a charmed virtue in their eyes, 


358 


ASTORIA. 


from having been prepared, with mystic ceremonies, by 
their conjurers. 

In company with this wandering band our travellers 
proceeded all day. In the evening they encamped near 
to each other in a defile of the mountains, on the borders 
of a stream running north, and falling into Bighorn 
Biver. In the vicinity of the camp, they found goose* 
berries, strawberries, and currants, in great abundance. 
The defile bore traces of having been a thoroughfare for 
countless herds of buffaloes, though not one was to be 
seen. The hunters succeeded in killing an elk and sev¬ 
eral black-tailed deer. 

They were now in the bosom of the second Bighorn 
ridge, with another lofty and snow-crowned mountain 
full in view to the west. Fifteen miles of western course 
brought them, on the following day, down into an inter¬ 
vening plain, well stocked with buffalo. Here the Snakes 
and Flatheads joined with the white hunters in a suc¬ 
cessful hunt, that soon filled the camp with provisions. 

On the morning of the 9th of September, the travellers 
parted company with their Indian friends, and continued 
on their course to the west. A march of thirty miles 
brought them, in the evening, to the banks of a rapid 
and beautifully clear stream about a hundred yards wide. 
It is the north fork or branch of the Bighorn Kiver, but 
bears its peculiar name of the Wind Biver, from being 
subject in the winter season to a continued blast which 
sweeps its banks and prevents the snow from lying on 


TEE WIND RIVER. 


359 


them. This blast is said to be caused by a narrow gap 
or funnel in the mountains, through which the river 
forces its way between perpendicular precipices, resem¬ 
bling cut rocks. 

This river gives its name to a whole range of moun¬ 
tains consisting of three parallel chains, eighty miles in 
length, and about twenty or twenty-five broad. One of 
its peaks is probably fifteen thousand feet above the 
level of the sea, being one of the highest of the Rocky 
Sierra. These mountains give rise, not merely to the 
Wind or Bighorn River, but to several branches of the 
Yellowstone and the Missouri on the east, and of the 
Columbia and Colorado on the west; thus dividing the 
sources of these mighty streams. 

For five succeeding days, Mr. Hunt and his party con¬ 
tinued up the course of the Wind River, to the distance 
of about eighty miles, crossing and recrossing it, accord¬ 
ing to its windings, and the nature of its banks ; some¬ 
times passing through valleys, at other times scrambling 
over rocks and hills. The country in general was des¬ 
titute of trees, but they passed through groves of worm¬ 
wood, eight and ten feet in height, which they used occa¬ 
sionally for fuel, and they met with large quantities of 
wild flax. 

The mountains were destitute of game; they came in 
sight of two grizzly bears, but could not get near enough 
^or a shot; provisions, therefore, began to be scanty. 
They saw large flights of the kind of thrush commonly 


3G0 


ASTOBIA. 


called the robin, and many smaller birds of migratory 
species ; but the hills in general appeared lonely and 
with few signs of animal life. On the evening of the 14th 
September, they encamped on the forks of the Wind or 
Bighorn river. The largest of these forks came from the 
range of Wind Biver Mountains. 

The hunters who served as guides to the party in this 
part of their route, had assured Mr. Hunt that, by follow¬ 
ing up Wind Biver, and crossing a single mountain ridge, he 
would come upon the head waters of the Columbia. This 
scarcity of game, however, which already had been felt to 
a pinching degree, and which threatened them with famine 
among the sterile heights which lay before them, admon¬ 
ished them to change their course. It was determined, 
therefore, to make for a stream, which they were in¬ 
formed passed the neighboring mountains, to the south 
of west, on the grassy banks of which it was probable 
they would meet with buffalo. Accordingly, about three 
o’clock on the following day, meeting with a beaten In¬ 
dian road which led in the proper direction, they struck 
into it, turning their backs upon Wind Biver. 

In the course of the day, they came to a height that 
commanded an almost boundless prospect. Here one of 
the guides paused, and, after considering the vast land¬ 
scape attentively, pointed to three mountain peaks glis¬ 
tening with snow, which rose, he said, above a fork of Co¬ 
lumbia Biver. They were hailed by the travellers with 
that joy with which a beacon on a sea-shore is hailed by 


FIRST LANDMARKS OF THE COLUMBIA. 361 


mariners after a long and dangerous voyage. It is true 
there was many a weary league to be traversed before 
they should reach these landmarks, for, allowing for their 
evident height and the extreme transparency of the at¬ 
mosphere, they could not be much less than a hundred 
miles distant. Even after reaching them, there would 
yet remain hundreds of miles of their journey to be ac¬ 
complished. All these matters were forgotten in the joy 
at seeing the first landmarks of the Columbia, that river 
which formed the bourne of the expedition. These re¬ 
markable peaks were known as the Tetons; as guiding 
points for many days, to Mr. Hunt, he gave them the 
names of the Pilot Knobs. 

The travellers continued their course to the south of 
west for about forty miles, through a region so elevated 
that patches of snow lay on the highest summits and on 
the northern declivities. At length they came to the de¬ 
sired stream, the object of their search, the waters of 
which flowed to the west. It was, in fact, a branch of 
the Colorado, which falls into the Gulf of California, and 
had received from the hunters the name of Spanish 
Kiver, from information given by the Indians that Span¬ 
iards resided upon its lower waters. 

The aspect of this river and its vicinity was cheering 
to the wayworn and hungry travellers. Its banks were 
green, and there were grassy valleys running from it in 
various directions, into the heart of the rugged moun¬ 
tains, with herds of buffalo quietly grazing. The hunters 


362 


ASTORIA. 


sallied forth with keen alacrity, and soon returned laden 
with provisions. 

In this part of the mountains Mr. Hunt met with three 
different kinds of gooseberries. The common purple, on 
a low and very thorny bush ; a yellow kind, of an excel¬ 
lent flavor, growing on a stock free from thorns ; and a 
deep purple, of the size and taste of our winter grape, 
with a thorny stalk. There were also three kinds of cur¬ 
rants, one very large and well tasted, of a purple color, 
and growing on a bush eight or nine feet high. Another 
of a yellow color, and of the size and taste of the large 
red currant, the bush four or five feet high ; and the 
third a beautiful scarlet, resembling the strawberry in 
sweetness, though rather insipid, and growing on a low 
bush. 

On the 17th they continued down the course of the 
river, making fifteen miles to the southwest. The river 
abounded with geese and ducks, and there were signs of 
its being inhabited by beaver and otters : indeed they 
were now approaching regions where these animals, the 
great objects of the fur trade, are said to abound. They 
encamped for the night opposite the end of a mountain 
in the west, which was probably the last chain of the 
Rocky Mountains. On the following morning they aban¬ 
doned the main course of the Spanish River, and taking a 
northwest direction for eight miles, came upon one of its 
little tributaries, issuing out of the bosom of the moun¬ 
tains, and running through green meadows, yielding 


HUNTING AND RESTING . 


363 


pasturage to herds of buffalo. As these were probably 
the last of that animal they would meet with, they en¬ 
camped on the grassy banks of the river, determined to 
spend several days in hunting, so as to be able to jerk 
sufficient meat to supply them until they should reach 
the waters of the Columbia, where they trusted to find fish 
enough for their support. A little repose, too, was neces¬ 
sary for both men and horses, after their rugged and in¬ 
cessant marching ; having in the course of the last seven¬ 
teen days traversed two hundred and sixty miles of 
rough, and in many parts sterile, mountain country. 


CHAPTER XXX. 


A PLENTIFUL, HUNTING CAMP.—SHOSHONIE HUNTERS.—HOBACK’S RIVER.—MAD 
RIVER.—ENCAMPMENT NEAR THE PILOT KNOBS.—A CONSULTATION.—PREP¬ 
ARATIONS FOR A PERILOUS VOYAGE. 

IYE days were passed by Mr. Hunt and his 
companions in the fresh meadows watered by 
the bright little mountain stream. The hunt¬ 
ers made great havoc among the buffaloes, and brought 
in quantities of meat; the voyageurs busied themselves 
about the fires, roasting and stewing for present pur¬ 
poses, or drying provisions for the journey; the pack- 
horses, eased of their burdens, rolled on the grass, or 
grazed at large about the ample pastures; those of the 
party who had no call upon their services, indulged in 
the luxury of perfect relaxation, and the camp presented 
a picture of rude feasting and revelry, of mingled bustle 
and repose, characteristic of a halt in a fine hunting 
country. In the course of one of their excursions, some 
of the men came in sight of a small party of Indians, who 
instantly fled in great apparent consternation. They 
immediately returned to camp with the intelligence: 
upon which Mr. Hunt and four others flung themselves 

364 









SNAKE INDIAN CAMP. 


365 


upon their horses, and sallied forth to reconnoitre. After 
riding for about eight miles, they came upon a wild 
mountain scene. A lonely green valley stretched before 
them, surrounded by rugged heights. A herd of buffalo 
were careering madly through it, with a troop of savage 
horsemen in full chase, plying them with their bows and 
arrows. The appearance of Mr. Hunt and his compan¬ 
ions put an abrupt end to the hunt; the buffalo scuttled 
off in one direction, while the Indians plied their lashes 
and galloped off in another, as fast as their steeds could 
carry them. Mr. Hunt gave chase; there was a sharp 
scamper, though of short continuance. Two young In* 
dians, who were indifferently mounted, were soon over¬ 
taken. They were terribly frightened, and evidently 
gave themselves up for lost. By degrees their fears were 
allayed by kind treatment; but they continued to regard 
the strangers with a mixture of awe and wonder, for it 
was the first time in their lives they had ever seen a white 
man. 

They belonged to a party of Snakes who had come 
across the mountains on their autumnal hunting excur¬ 
sion to provide buffalo meat for the winter. Being per¬ 
suaded of the peaceable intentions of Mr. Hunt and his 
companions, they willingly conducted them to their camp. 
It was pitched in a narrow valley on the margin of a 
stream. The tents were of dressed skins, some of them 
fantastically painted; with horses grazing about them. 
The approach of the party caused a transient alarm in the 


366 


ASTORIA. 


camp, for these poor Indians were ever on the look-out 
for cruel foes. No sooner, however, did they recognize 
the garb and complexion of their visitors, than their ap¬ 
prehensions were changed into joy; for some of them 
had dealt with white men, and knew them to be friendly, 
and to abound with articles of singular value. They 
welcomed them, therefore, to their tents, set food before 
them; and entertained them to the best of their power. 

They had been successful in their hunt, and their camp 
was full of jerked buffalo meat, all of the choicest kind, 
and extremely fat. Mr. Hunt purchased enough of them, 
in addition to what had been killed and cured by his own 
hunters, to load all the horses excepting those reserved 
for the partners and the wife of Pierre Dorion. He found, 
also, a few beaver skins in their camp, for which he paid 
liberally, as an inducement to them to hunt for more ; in¬ 
forming them that some of his party intended to live 
among the mountains, and trade with the native hunters 
for their peltries. The poor Snakes soon comprehended 
the advantages thus held out to them, and promised to 
exert themselves to procure a quantity of beaver skins 
for future traffic. 

Being now well supplied with provisions, Mr. Hunt 
broke up his encampment on the 24th of September, and 
continued on to the west. A march of fifteen miles, over 
a mountain ridge, brought them to a stream about fifty 
feet in width, which Hoback, one of their guides, who 
had trapped about the neighborhood when in the service 


HEAD WATERS OF THE COLUMBIA. 


367 


of Mr. Henry, recognized for one of the head waters of 
the Columbia. The travellers hailed it with delight, as 
the first stream they had encountered tending toward 
their point of destination. They kept along it for two 
days, during which, from the contribution of many rills 
and brooks, it gradually swelled into a small river. As 
it meandered among rocks and precipices, they were fre¬ 
quently obliged to ford it, and such was its rapidity, that 
the men were often in danger of being swept away. 
Sometimes the banks advanced so close upon the river, 
that they were obliged to scramble up and down their 
rugged promontories, or to skirt along their bases where 
there was scarce a foothold. Their horses had dangerous 
falls in some of these passes. One of them rolled, with 
his load, nearly two hundred feet down hill into the river, 
but without receiving any injury. At length they emerged 
from these stupendous defiles, and continued for several 
miles along the bank of Hoback’s River, through one of 
the stern mountain valleys. Here it was joined by a river 
of greater magnitude and swifter current, and their united 
waters swept off through the valley in one impetuous 
stream, which, from its rapidity and turbulence, had re¬ 
ceived the name of the Mad River. At the confluence of 
these streams the travellers encamped. An important 
point in their arduous journey had been attained, a few 
miles from their camp rose the three vast snowy peaks 
called the Tetons, or the Pilot Knobs, the great land¬ 
marks of the Columbia, by which they had shaped their 


368 


ASTORIA . 


course through this mountain wilderness. By their feet 
flowed the rapid current of Mad River, a stream ample 
enough to admit of the navigation of canoes, and down 
which they might possibly be able to steer their course 
to the main body of the Columbia. The Canadian voy- 
ageurs rejoiced at the idea of once more launching them¬ 
selves upon their favorite element; of exchanging their 
horses for canoes, and of gliding down the bosoms of riv¬ 
ers, instead of scrambling over the backs of mountains. 
Others of the party, also, inexperienced in this kind of 
travelling, considered their toils and troubles as drawing 
to a close. They had conquered the chief difficulties of 
this great rocky barrier, and now flattered themselves 
with the hope of an easy downward course for the rest of 
their journey. Little did they dream of the hardships 
and perils by land and water, which were yet to be en¬ 
countered in the frightful wilderness that intervened be¬ 
tween them and the shores of the Pacific! 


CHAPTER XXXI 


*. CONSULTATION WHETHER TO PROCEED BY LAND OR WATER.—PREPARATION* 
FOR BOAT-BUILDING.—AN EXPLORING PARTY.—A PARTY OF TRAPPERS DE¬ 
TACHED.—TWO SNAKE VISITORS.—THEIR REPORT CONCERNING THE RIVER.— 
CONFIRMED BY TIIE EXPLORING PARTY.—MAD RIVER ABANDONED.—ARRIVAL 
AT HENRY’S FORT.—DETACHMENT OF ROBINSON, HOBACK, AND REZNER TO 
TRAP.—MR. MILLER RESOLVES TO ACCOMPANY THEM.—THEIR DEPARTURE. 


pggralN the banks of Mad Kiver Mr. Hunt held a con- 
H i sultation with the other partners as to their fu- 
ture movements. The wild and impetuous cur¬ 
rent of the river rendered him doubtful whether it might 
not abound with impediments lower down, sufficient to 
render the navigation of it slow and perilous, if not im¬ 
practicable. The hunters who had acted as guides, knew 
nothing of the character of the river below; what rocks, 
and shoals, and rapids might obstruct it, or through what 
mountains and deserts it might pass. Should they then 
abandon their horses, cast themselves loose in fragile 
barks upon this wild, doubtful, and unknown river; oi 
should they continue their more toilsome and tedious, 
but perhaps more certain wayfaring by land ? 

The vote, as might have been expected, was almost 
unanimous for embarkation; for when men are in diffi- 
24 369 







370 


ASTORIA. 


culties every change seems to be for the better. The 
difficulty now was to find timber of sufficient size for the 
construction of canoes, the trees in these high mountain 
regions being chiefly a scrubbed growth of pines and 
cedars, aspens, haws, and service-berries, and a small 
kind of cotton-tree, with a leaf resembling that of the 
willow. There was a species of large fir, but so full of 
knots as to endanger the axe in hewing it. After search¬ 
ing for some time, a growth of timber, of sufficient size, 
was found lower down the river, whereupon the encamp¬ 
ment was moved to the vicinity. 

The men were now set to work to fell trees, and the 
mountains echoed to the unwonted sound of their axes. 
While preparations were thus going on for a voyage down 
the river, Mr. Hunt, who still entertained doubts of its 
practicability, despatched an exploring party, consisting 
of John Reed, the clerk, John Day, the hunter, and 
Pierre Dorion, the interpreter, with orders to proceed 
several days’ march along the stream, and notice its 
course and character. 

After their departure, Mr. Hunt turned his thoughts 
to another object of importance. He had now arrived at 
the head waters of the Columbia, which were among the 
main points embraced by the enterprise of Mr. Astor. 
These upper streams were reputed to abound in beaver, 
and had as yet been unmolested by the white trapper. 
The numerous signs of beaver met with during the re¬ 
cent search for timber, gave evidence that the neighbor- 


TRAPPERS DETACHED. 


371 


hood was a good “ trapping ground.” Here, then, it was 
proper to begin to cast loose those leashes of hardy trap¬ 
pers that are detached from trading parties in the very 
heart of the wilderness. The men detached in the pres¬ 
ent instance were Alexander Carson, Louis St. Michel, 
Pierre Detaye, and Pierre Delaunay. Trappers gener¬ 
ally go in pairs, that they may assist, protect, and com¬ 
fort each other in their lonely and perilous occupations. 
Thus Carson and St. Michel formed one couple, and De¬ 
taye and Delaunay another. They were fitted out with 
traps, arms, ammunition, horses, and every other requi¬ 
site, and were to trap upon the upper part of Mad River, 
and upon the neighboring streams of the mountains. 
This would probably occupy them for some months; and, 
when they should have collected a sufficient quantity of 
peltries, they were to pack them upon their horses and 
make the best of their way to the mouth of Columbia 
River, or to any intermediate post which might be estab¬ 
lished by the company. They took leave of their com¬ 
rades and started off on their several courses with stout 
hearts and cheerful countenances ; though these lonely 
cruisings into a wild and hostile wilderness seem to the 
uninitiated equivalent to being cast adrift in the ship’s 
yawl in the midst of the ocean. 

Of the perils that attend the lonely trapper, the reader 
will have sufficient proof, when he comes, in the after 
part of this work, to learn the hard fortunes of these poor 
fellows in the course of their wild peregrinations. 


372 


ASTORIA 


The trappers had not long departed, when two Snake 
Indians wandered into the camp. When they perceived 
that the strangers were fabricating canoes, they shook 
their heads and gave them to understand that the river 
was not navigable. Their information, however, was 
scoffed at by some of the party, who were obstinately 
bent on embarkation, but was confirmed by the exploring 
party, who returned after several days’ absence. They 
had kept along the river with great difficulty for two 
days, and found it a narrow, crooked, turbulent stream, 
confined in a rocky channel, with many rapids, and occa¬ 
sionally overhung with precipices. From the summit of 
one of these they had caught a bird’s-eye view of its 
boisterous career for a great distance through the heart 
of the mountain, with impending rocks and cliffs. Satis¬ 
fied from this view that it was useless to follow its course, 
either by land or water, they had given up all further in¬ 
vestigation. 

These concurring reports determined Mr. Hunt to 
abandon Mad River, and seek some more navigable 
stream. This determination was concurred in by all his 
associates excepting Mr. Miller, who had become impa¬ 
tient of the fatigue of land travel, and was for immediate 
embarkation at all hazards. This gentleman had been in 
a gloomy and irritated state of mind for some time past, 
being troubled with a bodily malady that rendered trav¬ 
elling on horseback extremely irksome to him, and being, 
moreover, discontented with having a smaller share in 


STORMY WEATHER. 


373 


the expedition than his comrades. His unreasonable ob¬ 
jections to a further march by land were overruled, and 
the party prepared to decamp. 

Robinson, Hoback, and Hezner, the three hunters who 
had hitherto served as guides among the mountains, now 
stepped forward, and advised Mr. Hunt to make for the 
post established during the preceding year by Mr. 
Henry, of the Missouri Fur Company. They had been 
with Mr. Henry, and, as far as they could judge by the 
neighboring landmarks, his post could not be very far off. 
They presumed there could be but one intervening ridge 
of mountains, which might be passed without any great 
difficulty. Henry’s post, or fort, was on an upper branch 
of the Columbia, down which they made no doubt it 
would be easy to navigate in canoes. 

The two Snake Indians being questioned in the matter, 
showed a perfect knowledge of the situation of the post, 
and offered, with great alacrity, to guide them to the 
place. Their offer was accepted, greatly to the displeas¬ 
ure of Mr. Miller, who seemed obstinately bent upon 
braving the perils of Mad River. 

The weather for a few days past had been stormy, with 
rain and sleet. The Rocky Mountains are subject to 
tempestuous winds from the west; these sometimes come 
in flaws or currents, making a path through the forests 
many yards in width, and whirling off trunks and 
branches to a great distance. The present storm sub¬ 
sided on the third of October, leaving all the surround- 


374 


ASTORIA . 


ing heights covered with snow; for while rain had fallen 
in the valley, it had snowed on the hill tops. 

On the 4th, they broke up their encampment, and 
crossed the river, the water coming up to the girths of 
their horses. After travelling four miles, they encamped 
at the foot of the mountain, the last, as they hoped, 
which they should have to traverse. Four days more 
took them across it, and over several plains, watered by 
beautiful little streams, tributaries of Mad Biver. Near 
one of their encampments there was a hot spring con¬ 
tinually emitting a cloud of vapor. These elevated 
plains, which give a peculiar character to the mountains, 
are frequented by large gangs of antelopes, fleet as the 
wind. 

On the evening of the 8th of October, after a cold 
wintry day, with gusts of westerly wind and flurries of 
snow, they arrived at the sought-for post of Mr. Henry. 
Here he had fixed himself, after being compelled by the 
hostilities of the Blackfeet, to abandon the upper waters 
of the Missouri. The post, however, was deserted, for 
Mr. Henry had left it in the course of the preceding 
spring, and, as it afterwards appeared, had fallen in with 
Mr. Lisa, at the Arickara village on the Missouri, some 
time after the separation of Mr. Hunt and his party. 

The weary travellers gladly took possession of the de¬ 
serted log huts which had formed the post, and which 
stood on the bank of a stream upwards of a hundred 
yards wide, on which they intended to embark. There 


FORT EBNRY. 


375 


being plenty of suitable timber in the neighborhood, Mr. 
Hunt immediately proceeded to construct canoes. As 
he would have to leave his horses and their accoutre¬ 
ments here, he determined to make this a trading post, 
where the trappers and hunters, to be distributed about 
the country, might repair ; and where the traders might 
touch on their way through the mountains to and from 
the establishment at the mouth of the Columbia. He 
informed the two Snake Indians of this determination, 
and engaged them to remain in that neighborhood and 
take care of the horses until the white men should re¬ 
turn, promising them ample rewards for their fidelity. 
It may seem a desperate chance to trust to the faith and 
honesty of two such vagabonds ; but, as the horses would 
have, at all events, to be abandoned, and would otherwise 
become the property of the first vagrant horde that 
should encounter them, it was one chance in favor of 
their being regained. 

At this place another detachment of hunters prepared 
to separate from the party for the purpose of trapping 
beaver. Three of these had already been in this neigh¬ 
borhood, being the veteran Robinson and his compan¬ 
ions, Hoback and Rezner, who had accompanied Mr. 
Henry across the mountains, and who had been picked 
up by Mr. Hunt on the Missouri, on their way home to 
Kentucky. According to agreement they were fitted out 
with horses, traps, ammunition, and everything requisite 
for their undertaking, and were to bring in all the pel- 


876 


ASTORIA. 


tries they should collect, either to this trading post, or to 
the establishment at the mouth of Columbia River. An¬ 
other hunter, of the name of Cass, was associated with 
them in their enterprise. It is in this way that small 
knots of trappers and hunters are distributed about the 
wilderness by the fur companies, and like cranes and bit¬ 
terns, haunt its solitary streams. Robinson, the Ken¬ 
tuckian, the veteran of the “ bloody ground,” who, as has 
already been noted, had been scalped by the Indians in 
his younger days, was the leader of this little band. 
When they were about to depart, Mr. Miller called the 
partners together and threw up his share in the com¬ 
pany, declaring his intention of joining the party of 
trappers. 

This resolution struck every one with astonishment, 
Mr. Miller being a man of education and of cultivated 
habits, and little fitted for the rude life of a hunter. Be¬ 
sides, the precarious and slender profits arising from 
such a life were beneath the prospects of one who held a 
share in the general enterprise. Mr. Hunt was especially 
concerned and mortified at his determination, as it was 
through his advice and influence he had entered into the 
concern. He endeavored, therefore, to dissuade him from 
this sudden resolution; representing its rashness, and 
the hardships and perils to which it would expose him. 
He earnestly advised him, however he might feel dissat¬ 
isfied with the enterprise, still to continue on in company 
until they should reach the mouth of Columbia River. 


MR. MILLER TURNS TRAPPER. 


377 


There they would meet the expedition that was to come 
by sea; when, should he still feel disposed to relinquish 
the undertaking, Mr. Hunt pledged himself to furnish 
him a passage home in one of the vessels belonging to 
the company. 

To all this Miller replied abruptly, that it was useless 
to argue with him, as his mind was made up. They 
might furnish him, or not, as they pleased, with the 
necessary supplies, but he was determined to part com¬ 
pany here, and set off with the trappers. So saying, he 
flung out of their presence without vouchsafing any fur¬ 
ther conversation. 

Much as this wayward conduct gave them anxiety, the 
partners saw it was in vain to remonstrate. Every at¬ 
tention was paid to fit him out for his headstrong under¬ 
taking. He was provided with four horses, and all the 
articles he required. The two Snakes undertook to con¬ 
duct him and his companions to an encampment of their 
tribe, lower down among the mountains, from whom they 
would receive information as to the best trapping 
grounds. After thus guiding them, the Snakes were to 
return to Fort Henry, as the new trading post was called, 
and take charge of the horses which the party would 
leave there, of which, after all the hunters were supplied, 
there remained seventy-seven. These matters being all 
arranged, Mr. Miller set out with his companions, under 
guidance of the two Snakes, on the 10th of October; and 
much did it grieve the friends of that gentleman to see 


378 


ASTORIA. 


him thus wantonly casting himself loose upon savage life. 
How he and his comrades fared in the wilderness, and 
how the Snakes acquitted themselves of their trust re¬ 
specting the horses, will hereafter appear in the course 
of these rambling anecdotes. 


CHAPTER XXXH 


•CANTY PARE.—A MENDICANT SNAKE.—EMBARKATION ON HENRY RIYER.—JOt 
OF THE VOYAGEURS.— ARRIVAL AT SNAKE RIVER.—RAPIDS AND BREAKERS.— 
BEGINNING OF MISFORTUNES.—SNAKE ENCAMPMENTS.—PARLEY WITH 4 
SAVAGE.—A SECOND DISASTER.—LOSS OF A BOATMAN.—THE CALDRON 
LINN. 



HILE the canoes were in preparation, the hunt¬ 
ers ranged about the neighborhood, but with 
little success. Tracks of buffaloes were to be 
seen in all directions, but none of a fresh date. There 
were some elk, but extremely wild; two only were killed. 
Antelopes were likewise seen, but too shy and fleet to be 
approached. A few beavers were taken every night, and 
salmon trout of a small size, so that the camp had princi¬ 
pally to subsist upon dried buffalo meat. 

On the 14th, a poor, half-naked Snake Indian, one of 
that forlorn caste called the Shuckers, or Diggers, made 
his appearance at the camp. He came from some lurk¬ 
ing-place among the rocks and cliffs, and presented a 
picture of that famishing wretchedness to which these 
lonely fugitives among the mountains are sometimes re¬ 
duced. Having received wherewithal to allay his hun¬ 
ger, he disappeared, but in the course of a day or two 

379 






380 


ASTORIA. 


returned to the camp, bringing with him his son, a mis¬ 
erable boy, still more naked and forlorn than himself. 
Food was given to both; they skulked about the camp 
like hungry hounds, seeking what they might devour, 
and having gathered up the feet and entrails of some 
beavers that were lying about, slunk off with them to 
their den among the rocks. 

By the 18th of October, fifteen canoes were completed, 
and on the following day the party embarked with their 
effects; leaving their horses grazing about the banks, and 
trusting to the honesty of the two Snakes, and some 
special turn of good luck for their future recovery. 

The current bore them along at a rapid rate ; the light 
spirits of the Canadian voyageurs, which had occasionally 
flagged upon land, rose to their accustomed buoyancy on 
finding themselves again upon the water. They wielded 
their paddles with their wonted dexterity, and for the 
first time made the mountains echo with their favorite 
boat songs. 

In the course of the day the little squadron arrived at 
the confluence of Henry and Mad Rivers, which, thus 
united, swelled into a beautiful stream of a light pea- 
green color, navigable for boats of any size, and which, 
from the place of junction, took the name of Snake River, 
a stream doomed to be the scene of much disaster to the 
travellers. The banks were here and there fringed with 
willow thickets and small cotton-wood trees. The 
weather was cold, and it snowed all day, and great flocks 


THE BEGINNING OF TROUBLES. 


381 


of ducks and geese, sporting in the water or streaming 
through the air, gave token that winter was at hand; yet 
the hearts of the travellers were light, and, as they 
glided down the little river, they flattered themselves 
with the hope of soon reaching the Columbia. After 
making thirty miles in a southerly direction, they en¬ 
camped for the night in a neighborhood which required 
some little vigilance, as there were recent traces of 
grizzly bears among the thickets. 

On the following day the river increased in width and 
beauty ; flowing parallel to a range of mountains on the 
left, which at times were finely reflected in its light green 
waters. The three snowy summits of the Pilot Knobs or 
Tetons were still seen towering in the distance. After 
pursuing a swift but placid course for twenty miles, the 
current began to foam and brawl, and assume the wild 
and broken character common to the streams west of the 
Kocky Mountains. In fact the rivers which flow from 
those mountains to the Pacific, are essentially different 
from those which traverse the great prairies on their 
eastern declivities. The latter, though sometimes bois¬ 
terous, are generally free from obstructions, and easily 
navigated; but the rivers to the west of the mountains 
descend more steeply and impetuously, and are contin¬ 
ually liable to cascades and rapids. The latter abounded 
in the part of the river which the travellers were now 
descending. Two of the canoes filled among the break¬ 
ers ; the crews were saved, but much of the lading was 


382 


ASTORIA. 


lost or damaged, and one of the canoes drifted down the 
stream and was broken among the rocks. 

On the following day, October 21st, they made but a 
short distance when they came to a dangerous strait, 
where the river was compressed for nearly half a mile 
between perpendicular rocks, reducing it to the width of 
twenty yards, and increasing its violence. Here they 
were obliged to pass the canoes down cautiously by a 
line from the impending banks. This consumed a great 
part of a day; and after they had reembarked they were 
soon again impeded by rapids, when they had to unload 
their canoes and carry them and their cargoes for some 
distance by land. It is at these places, called “port¬ 
ages,” that the Canadian voyageur exhibits his most 
valuable qualities; carrying heavy burdens, and toiling 
to and fro, on land and in the water, over rocks and 
precipices, among brakes and brambles, not only without 
a murmur, but with the greatest cheerfulness and alac¬ 
rity, joking and laughing and singing scraps of old 
French ditties. 

The spirits of the party, however, which had been 
elated on first varying their journeying from land to 
water, had now lost some of their buoyancy. Everything 
ahead was wrapped in uncertainty. They knew nothing 
of the river on which they were floating. It had never 
been navigated by a white man, nor could they meet with 
an Indian to give them any information concerning it. It 
kept on its course through a vast wilderness of silent and 


AN UNINHABITED COUNTRY 


383 


apparently uninhabited mountains, without a savage wig¬ 
wam upon its banks, or bark upon its waters. The diffi¬ 
culties and perils they had already passed, made them 
apprehend others before them, that might effectually bar 
their progress. As they glided onward, however, they 
regained heart and hope. The current continued to be 
strong; but it was steady, and though they met with fre¬ 
quent rapids, none of them were bad. Mountains were 
constantly to be seen in different* directions, but some¬ 
times the swift river glided through prairies, and was 
bordered by small cotton-wood trees and willows. These 
prairies at certain seasons are ranged by migratory herds 
of the wide-wandering buffalo, the tracks of which, 
though not of recent date, were frequently to be seen. 
Here, too, were to be found the prickly pear or Indian 
fig, a plant which loves a more southern climate. On the 
land were large flights of magpies and American robins; 
whole fleets of ducks and geese navigated the river, or 
flew off in long streaming files at the approach of the 
canoes; while the frequent establishments of the pains¬ 
taking and quiet-loving beaver, showed that the solitude 
of these waters was rarely disturbed, even by the all- 
pervading savage. 

They had now come near two hundred and eighty 
miles since leaving Fort Henry, yet without seeing a hu¬ 
man being, or a human habitation; a wild and desert sol¬ 
itude extended on either side of the river, apparently al¬ 
most destitute of animal life. At length, on the 24th of 


384 


ASTORIA. 


October, they were gladdened by the sight of some sav¬ 
age tents, and hastened to land and visit them, for they 
were anxious to procure information to guide them on 
their route. On their approach, however, the savages 
fled in consternation. They proved to be a wandering 
band of Shoshonies. In their tents were great quantities 
of small fish about two inches long, together with roots 
and seeds, or grain, which they were drying for winter 
provisions. They appeared to be destitute of tools of 
any kind, yet there were bows and arrows very well 
made; the former were formed of pine, cedar, or bone, 
strengthened by sinews, and the latter of the wood of 
rose-bushes, and other crooked plants, but carefully 
straightened, and tipped with stone of a bottle-green 
color. 

There were also vessels of willow and grass, so closely 
wrought as to hold water, and a seine neatly made with 
meshes, in the ordinary manner, of the fibres of wild flax 
or nettle. The humble effects of the poor savages re¬ 
mained unmolested by their visitors, and a few small 
articles, with a knife or two, were left in the camp, and 
were no doubt regarded as invaluable prizes. 

Shortly after leaving this deserted camp, and reem¬ 
barking in the canoes, the travellers met with three of 
the Snakes on a triangular raft made of flags or reeds; 
such was their rude mode of navigating the river. They 
were entirely naked excepting small mantles of hare 
skins over their shoulders. The canoes approached near 


A FRIGHTENED SNAKE. 


385 


enough to gain a full view of them, but they were not to 
be brought to a parley. 

All further progress for the day was barred by a fall in 
the river of about thirty feet perpendicular; at the head 
of which the party encamped for the night. 

The next day was one of excessive toil and but little 
progress : the river winding through a wild rocky coun¬ 
try, and being interrupted by frequent rapids, among 
which the canoes were in great peril. On the succeeding 
day they again visited a camp of wandering Snakes, but 
the inhabitants fled with terror at the sight of a fleet of 
canoes, filled with white men, coming down their solitary 
river. 

As Mr. Hunt was extremely anxious to gain informa¬ 
tion concerning his route, he endeavored by all kinds of 
friendly signs to entice back the fugitives. At length 
one, who was on horseback, ventured back with fear and 
trembling. He was better clad, and in better condition, 
than most of his vagrant tribe that Mr. Hunt had yet 
seen. The chief object of his return appeared to be to 
intercede for a quantity of dried meat and salmon trout, 
which he had left behind; on which, probably, he de¬ 
pended for his winter’s subsistence. The poor wretch 
approached with hesitation, the alternate dread of famine 
and of white men operating upon his mind. He made 
the most abject signs, imploring Mr. Hunt not to carry 
off his food. The latter tried in every way to reassure 
him, and offered him knives in exchange for his provi- 
25 


386 


ASTORIA 


sions ; great as was the temptation, the poor Snake could 
only prevail upon himself to spare a part; keeping a 
feverish watch over the rest, lest it should be taken away. 
It was in vain Mr. Hunt made inquiries of him concern¬ 
ing his route, and the course of the river. The Indian 
was too much frightened and bewildered to comprehend 
him or to reply ; he did nothing but alternately commend 
himself to the protection of the Good Spirit, and sup¬ 
plicate Mr. Hunt not to take away his fish and buffalo 
meat; and in this state they left him, trembling about his 
treasures. 

In the course of that and the next day they made near¬ 
ly eight miles; the river inclining to the south of west, 
and being clear and beautiful, nearly half a mile in width, 
with many populous communities of the beaver along its 
banks. The 28th of October, however, was a day of dis¬ 
aster. The river again became rough and impetuous, and 
was chafed and broken by numerous rapids. These grew 
more and more dangerous, and the utmost skill was re¬ 
quired to steer among them. Mr. Crooks was seated in 
the second canoe of the squadron, and had an old experi¬ 
enced Canadian for steersman, named Antoine Clappine, 
one of the most valuable of the voyageurs. The leading 
canoe had glided safely among the turbulent and roaring 
surges, but in following it, Mr. Crooks perceived that his 
canoe was bearing towards a rock. He called out to the 
steersman, but his warning voice was either unheard or 
unheeded. In the next moment they struck upon tha 


THE CALDRON LINN. 


387 


rock. The canoe was split and overturned. There were 
five persons on board. Mr. Crooks and one of his com¬ 
panions were thrown amidst roaring breakers and a 
whirling current, but succeeded, by strong swimming, to 
reach the shore. Clappine and two others clung to the 
shattered bark, and drifted with it to a rock. The wreck 
struck the rock with one end, and swinging round, flung 
poor Clappine off into the raging stream, which swept 
him away, and he perished. His comrades succeeded in 
getting upon the rock, from whence they were afterwards 
taken off. 

This disastrous event brought the whole squadron to a 
halt, and struck a chill into every bosom. Indeed they 
had arrived at a terrific strait, that forbade all further 
progress in the canoes, and dismayed the most experi¬ 
enced voyageur. The whole body of the river was com¬ 
pressed into a space of less than thirty feet in width, be¬ 
tween two ledges of rocks, upwards of two hundred feet 
high, and formed a whirling and tumultuous vortex, so 
frightfully agitated, as to receive the name of “The Cal¬ 
dron Linn.” Beyond this fearful abyss, the river kept 
raging and roaring on, until lost to sight among impend¬ 
ing precipice*. 


CHAPTER XXXm. 


GLOOMY COUNCIL.—EXPLORING PARTIES.—DISCOURAGING REPORTS. — DISAS¬ 
TROUS EXPERIMENT.—DETACHMENTS IN QUEST OF SUCCOR.—CACHES, HOW 
MADE.—RETURN OF ONE OF THE DETACHMENTS.—UNSUCCESSFUL.—FUR¬ 
THER DISAPPOINTMENTS.—THE DEVIL’S SCUTTLE HOLE. 



R. HUNT and his companions encamped upon 
the borders of the Caldron Linn, and held 
gloomy counsel as to their future course. The 
recent wreck had dismayed even the voyageurs, and the 
fate of their popular comrade, Clappine, one of the most 
adroit and experienced of their fraternity, had struck sor¬ 
row to their hearts, for with all their levity, these thought¬ 
less beings have great kindness towards each other. 

The whole distance they had navigated since leaving 
Henry’s Fort, was computed to be about three hundred 
and forty miles; strong apprehensions were now enter¬ 
tained that the tremendous impediments before them 
would oblige them to abandon their canoes. It was de¬ 
termined to send exploring parties on each side of the 
river to ascertain whether it was possible to navigate it 
further. Accordingly, on the following morning, three 
men were despatched along the south bank, while Mr. 





BANGERS AND DIFFICULTIES. 


389 


Hunt and three others proceeded along the north. The 
two parties returned after a weary scramble among 
swamps, rocks, and precipices, and with very disheart¬ 
ening accounts. For nearly forty miles that they had 
explored, the river foamed and roared along through a 
deep and narrow channel, from twenty to thirty yards 
wide, which it had worn, in the course of ages, through 
the heart of a barren, rocky country. The precipices on 
each side were often two and three hundred feet high, 
sometimes perpendicular, and sometimes overhanging, so 
that it was impossible, excepting in one or two places, to 
get down to the margin of the stream. This dreary 
strait was rendered the more dangerous by frequent 
rapids, and occasionally perpendicular falls from ten to 
forty feet in height; so that it seemed almost hopeless to 
attempt to pass the canoes down it. The party, however, 
who had explored the south side of the river had found a 
place, about six miles from the camp, where they thought 
it possible the canoes might be carried down the bank 
and launched upon the stream, and from whence they 
might make their way with the aid of occasional port¬ 
ages. Four of the best canoes were accordingly selected 
for the experiment, and were transported to the place on 
the shoulders of sixteen of the men. At the same time 
Mr. Reed the clerk, and three men, were detached to ex¬ 
plore the river still further down than the previous 
scouting parties had been, and at the same time to look 
out for Indians, from whom provisions might be ob- 


390 


ASTORIA. 


tained, and a supply of horses, should it be found neces¬ 
sary to proceed by land. 

The party who had been sent with the canoes returned 
on the following day, weary and dejected. One of the 
canoes had been swept away with all the weapons and 
effects of four of the voyageurs, in attempting to pass it 
down a rapid by means of a line. The other three had 
stuck fast among the rocks, so that it was impossible to 
move them ; the men returned, therefore, in despair, and 
declared the river unnavigable. 

The situation of the unfortunate travellers was now 
gloomy in the extreme. They were in the heart of an 
unknown wilderness, untraversed as yet by a white man. 
They were at a loss what route to take, and how far they 
were from the ultimate place of their destination, nor 
could they meet in these uninhabited wilds with any hu¬ 
man being to give them information. The repeated acci¬ 
dents to their canoes had reduced their stock of provisions 
to five days’ allowance, and there was now every appearance 
of soon having famine added to their other sufferings. 

This last circumstance rendered it more perilous to 
keep together than to separate. Accordingly, after a 
little anxious but bewildered counsel, it was determined 
that several small detachments should start off in differ¬ 
ent directions, headed by the several partners. Should 
any of them succeed in falling in with friendly Indians, 
within a reasonable distance, and obtaining a supply of 
provisions and horses, they were to return to the aid of 


GLOOMY PROSPECTS. 


391 


the main body: otherwise they were to shift for them¬ 
selves, and shape their course according to circum¬ 
stances ; keeping the mouth of the Columbia River as 
the ultimate point of their wayfaring. Accordingly, three 
several parties set off from the camp at Caldron Linn, in 
opposite directions. Mr. M’Lellan, with three men, kept 
down along the bank of the river. Mr. Crooks, with five 
others, turned their steps up it; retracing by land the 
weary course they had made by water, intending, should 
they not find relief nearer at hand, to keep on until they 
should reach Henry’s Fort, where they hoped to find the 
horses they had left there, and to return with them to 
the main body. 

The third party, composed of five men, was headed by 
Mr. M’Kenzie, who struck to the northward, across the 
desert plains, in hopes of coming upon the main stream 
of the Columbia. 

Having seen these three adventurous bands depart 
upon their forlorn expeditions, Mr. Hunt turned his 
thoughts to provide for the subsistence of the main body 
left to his charge, and to prepare for their future march. 
There remained with him thirty-one men, beside the 
squaw and two children of Pierre Dorion. There was no 
game to be met with in the neighborhood ; but beavers 
were occasionally trapped about the river banks, which af¬ 
forded a scanty supply of food; in the meantime they com¬ 
forted themselves that some one or other of the foraging 
detachments would be successful, and return with relief. 


392 


ASTORIA. 


Mr. Hunt now set to work with all diligence, to pre¬ 
pare caches , in which to deposit the baggage and mer¬ 
chandise, of which it would be necessary to disburden 
themselves, preparatory to their weary march by land: 
and here we shall give a brief description of those con¬ 
trivances, so noted in the wilderness. 

A cache is a term common among traders and hunters, 
to designate a hiding-place for provisions and effects. It 
is derived from the French word cadxer , to conceal, and 
originated among the early colonists of Canada and Lou¬ 
isiana ; but the secret depository which it designates was 
in use among the aboriginals long before the intrusion of 
the white men. It is, in fact, the only mode that migra¬ 
tory hordes have of preserving their valuables from rob¬ 
bery, during their long absences from their villages or 
accustomed haunts, on hunting expeditions, or during the 
vicissitudes of war. The utmost skill and caution are 
required to render these places of concealment invisible 
to the lynx eye of an Indian. The first care is to seek 
out a proper situation, w'hich is generally some dry, low, 
bank of clay, on the margin of a water-course. As soon 
as the precise spot is pitched upon, blankets, saddle¬ 
cloths, and other coverings, are spread over the sur¬ 
rounding grass and bushes, to prevent foot-tracks, or any 
other derangement; and as few hands as possible are 
employed. A circle of about two feet in diameter is then 
nicely cut in the sod, which is carefully removed, with 
the loose soil immediately beneath it, and laid aside in 


THE CACHE . 


393 


a place where it will be safe from anything that may 
change its appearance. The uncovered area is then 
digged perpendicularly to the depth of about three feet, 
and is then gradually widened so as to form a conical 
chamber six or seven feet deep. The whole of the earth 
displaced by this process, being of a different color from 
that on the surface, is handed up in a vessel, and heaped 
into a skin or cloth, in which it is conveyed to the stream 
and thrown into the midst of the current, that it may be 
entirely carried off. Should the cache not be formed in 
the vicinity of a stream, the earth thus thrown up is car¬ 
ried to a distance, and scattered in such manner as not 
to leave the minutest trace. The cave being formed, is 
well lined with dry grass, bark, sticks, and poles, and 
occasionally a dried hide. The property intended to be 
hidden is then laid in, after having been well aired : a 
hide is spread over it, and dried grass, brush, and stones 
thrown in, and trampled down until the pit is filled to 
the neck. The loose soil which had been put aside is 
then brought and rammed down firmly, to prevent its 
caving in, and is frequently sprinkled with water, to de¬ 
stroy the scent, lest the wolves and bears should be 
attracted to the place, and root up the concealed treas¬ 
ure. When the neck of the cache is nearly level with 
the surrounding surface, the sod is again fitted in with 
the utmost exactness, and any bushes, stocks, or stones, 
that may have originally been about the spot, are re¬ 
stored to their former places. The blankets and other 


394 


ASTORIA. 


coverings are then removed from the surrounding herb¬ 
age ; all tracks are obliterated; the grass is gently 
raised by the hand to its natural position, and the mi¬ 
nutest chip or straw is scrupulously gleaned up and 
thrown into the stream. After all this is done, the place 
is abandoned for the night, and, if all be right next morn¬ 
ing, is not visited again, until there be a necessity for re¬ 
opening the cache. Four men are sufficient, in this way, 
to conceal the amount of three tons weight of merchan¬ 
dise in the course of two days. Nine caches were re¬ 
quired to contain the goods and baggage which Mr. Hunt 
found it necessary to leave at this place. 

Three days had been thus employed since the depart¬ 
ure of the several detachments, when that of Mr. Crooks 
unexpectedly made its appearance. A momentary joy 
was diffused through the camp, for they supposed succor 
to be at hand. It was soon dispelled. Mr. Crooks and 
his companions had been completely disheartened by 
this retrograde march through a bleak and barren 
country; and had found, computing from their progress 
and the accumulating difficulties besetting every step, 
that it would be impossible to reach Henry’s Fort, and 
return to the main body in the course of the winter. 
They had determined, therefore, to rejoin their comrades, 
and share their lot. 

One avenue of hope was thus closed upon the anxious 
sojourners at the Caldron Linn ; their main expectation 
of relief was now from the two parties under Eeed and 


THE BEVIES SCUTTLE HOLE. 


395 


M’Lellan, which had proceeded down the river; for, as 
to Mr. M’Kenzie’s detachment, which had struck across 
the plains, they thought it would have sufficient difficulty 
in struggling forward through the trackless wilderness 
For five days they continued to support themselves by 
trapping and fishing. Some fish of tolerable size were 
speared at night by the light of cedar torches; others 
that were very small, were caught in nets with fine 
meshes. The product of their fishing, however, was very 
scanty. Their trapping was also precarious; and the 
tails and bellies of the beavers were dried and put by for 
the journey. 

At length two of the companions of Mr. Reed returned, 
and were hailed with the most anxious eagerness. Their 
report served but to increase the general despondency. 
They had followed Mr. Reed for some distance below the 
point to which Mr. Hunt had explored, but had met with 
no Indians from whom to obtain information and relief. 
The river still presented the same furious aspect, brawl¬ 
ing and boiling along a narrow and rugged channel, be¬ 
tween rocks that rose like walls. 

A lingering hope, which had been indulged by some of 
the party, of proceeding by water, was now finally given 
up: the long and terrific strait of the river set all further 
progress at defiance, and in their disgust at the place, 
and their vexation at the disasters sustained there, they 
gave it the indignant, though not very decorous, appella¬ 
tion of the Devil’s Scuttle Hole. 


CHAPTER XXXIV. 


WtTERMINATION OF THE PARTY TO PROCEED ON FOOT.—DREARY DESERTS B»- 
TWEEN SNAKE RIVER AND THE COLUMBIA.—DISTRIBUTION OF EFFECTS 
PREPARATORY TO A MARCH.—DIVISION OF THE PARTY.—RUGGED MARCH 
ALONG THE RIVER.—WILD AND BROKEN SCENERY.— SHOSHONIES.— ALARM 
OF A SNAKE ENCAMPMENT.—INTERCOURSE WITH THE SNAKES.—HORSBr 
DEALING.—VALUE OF A TIN KETTLE.—SUFFERINGS FROM THIRST.—A HORSE 
RECLAIMED.—FORTITUDE OF AN INDIAN WOMAN.—SCARCITY OF FOOD.— 
DOG’S FLESH A DAINTY.—NEWS OF MR. CROOKS AND HIS PARTY.—PAINFUL 
TRAVELLING AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.—SNOW STORMS.—A DREARY MOUN¬ 
TAIN PROSPECT.—A BIVOUAC DURING A WINTRY NIGHT.—RETURN TO THE 
RIVER BANK. 


HE resolution of Mr. Hunt and liis companions 
was now taken to set out immediately on foot. 
As to the other detachments that had in a man¬ 
ner gone forth to seek their fortunes, there was little 
chance of their return ; they would probably make their 
own way through the wilderness. At any rate, to linger 
in the vague hope of relief from them, would be to run 
the risk of perishing with hunger. Besides, the winter 
was rapidly advancing, and they had a long journey to 
make through an unknown country, where all kinds of 
perils might await them. They were yet, in fact, a thou¬ 
sand miles from Astoria, but the distance was unknown 

396 











PREPARATIONS FOR A MARCH. 


397 


to them at the time : everything before and around them 
was vague and conjectural, and wore an aspect calculated 
to inspire despondency. 

In abandoning the river, they would have to launch 
forth upon vast trackless plains destitute of all means of 
subsistence, where they might perish of hunger and 
thirst. A dreary desert of sand and gravel extends from 
Snake River almost to the Columbia. Here and there is 
a thin and scanty herbage, insufficient for the pasturage 
of horse or buffalo. Indeed, these treeless wastes be¬ 
tween the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific, are even 
more desolate and barren than the naked, upper prairies 
on the Atlantic side; they present vast desert tracts that 
must ever defy cultivation, and interpose dreary and 
thirsty wilds between the habitations of man, in travers¬ 
ing which, the wanderer will often be in danger of per¬ 
ishing. 

Seeing the hopeless character of these wastes, Mr. 
Hunt and his companions determined to keep along the 
course of the river, where they would always have water 
at hand, and would be able occasionally to procure fish 
and beaver, and might perchance meet with Indians, from 
whom they could obtain provisions. 

They now made their final preparations for the march. 
All their remaining stock of provisions consisted of forty 
pounds of Indian corn, twenty pounds of grease, about 
five pounds of portable soup, and a sufficient quantity of 
dried meat to allow each man a pittance of five pounds 


398 


ASTORIA. 


and a quarter, to be reserved for emergencies. This be* 
ing properly distributed, they deposited all their goods 
and superfluous articles in the caches, taking nothing 
with them but what was indispensable to the jour¬ 
ney. With all their management, each man had to carry 
twenty pounds’ weight beside his own articles and equip¬ 
ments. 

That they might have the better chance of procuring 
subsistence in the scanty region they were to traverse, 
they divided their party into two bands, Mr. Hunt, with 
eighteen men, beside Pierre Dorion and his family, was 
to proceed down the north side of the river, while Mr. 
Crooks, with eighteen men, kept along the south side. 

On the morning of the 9th of October, the two parties 
separated and set forth on their several courses. Mr. 
Hunt and his companions followed along the right bank 
of the river, which made its way far below them, brawling 
at the foot of perpendicular precipices of solid rock, two 
and three hundred feet high. For twenty-eight miles 
that they travelled this day, they found it impossible to 
get down to the margin of the stream. At the end of this 
distance they encamped for the night at a place which 
admitted a scrambling descent. It was with the greatest 
difficulty, however, that they succeeded in getting up a 
kettle of water from the river for the use of the camp. As 
some rain had fallen in the afternoon, they passed the 
night under the shelter of the rocks. 

The next day they continued thirty-two miles to the 


SH08H0NIE LODGES. 


399 


northwest, keeping along the river, which still ran in its 
deep-cut channel. Here and there a shady beach or a 
narrow strip of soil, fringed with dwarf willows, would 
extend for a little distance along the foot of the cliffs, and 
sometimes a reach of still water would intervene like a 
smooth mirror between the foaming rapids. 

As through the preceding day, they journeyed on with¬ 
out finding, except in one instance, any place where they 
could get down to the river’s edge, and they were fain to 
allay the thirst caused by hard travelling, with the water 
collected in the hollow of the rocks. 

In the course of their march on the following morning, 
they fell into a beaten horse path leading along the river, 
which showed that they were in the neighborhood of 
some Indian village or encampment. They had not pro¬ 
ceeded far along it, when they met with two Shoshonies, 
or Snakes. They approached with some appearance of 
uneasiness, and accosting Mr. Hunt, held up a knife, 
which by signs they let him know they had received from 
some of the white men of the advance parties. It was 
with some difficulty that Mr. Hunt prevailed upon one of 
the savages to conduct him to the lodges of his people. 
Striking into a trail or path which led up from the river, 
he guided them for some distance in the prairie, until 
they came in sight of a number of lodges made of straw, 
and shaped like hay-stacks. Their approach, as on for¬ 
mer occasions, caused the wildest affright among the in¬ 
habitants. The women hid such of their children as 


400 


ASTORIA. 


were too large to be carried, and too small to take care of 
themselves, under straw, and, clasping their infants to 
their breasts, fled across the prairie. The men awaited 
the approach of the strangers, but evidently in great 
alarm. 

Mr. Hunt entered the lodges, and, as he was looking 
about, observed where the children were concealed; their 
black eyes glistening like those of snakes, from beneath 
the straw. He lifted up the covering to look at them; 
the poor little beings were horribly frightened, and their 
fathers stood trembling, as if a beast of prey were about 
to pounce upon their brood. 

The friendly manner of Mr. Hunt soon dispelled these 
apprehensions; he succeeded in purchasing some excel¬ 
lent dried salmon, and a dog, an animal much esteemed 
as food by the natives; and when he returned to the 
river one of the Indians accompanied him. He now came 
to where the lodges were frequent along the banks, and, 
after a day’s journey of twenty-six miles to the northwest, 
encamped in a populous neighborhood. Forty or fifty of 
the natives soon visited the camp, conducting themselves 
in a very amicable manner. They were well clad, and all 
had buffalo robes, which they procured from some of the 
hunting tribes in exchange for salmon. Their habita¬ 
tions were very comfortable; each had its pile of worm¬ 
wood at the door for fuel, and within was abundance of 
salmon, some fresh, but the greater part cured. When 
the white men visited the lodges, however, the women 


ON SHORT RATIONS. 


401 


and children hid themselves through fear. Among the 
supplies obtained here were two dogs, on which our trav¬ 
ellers breakfasted, and found them to be very excellent, 
well-flavored, and hearty food. 

In the course of the three following days they made 
about sixty-three miles, generally in a northwest direc¬ 
tion. They met with many of the natives in their straw- 
built cabins, who received them without alarm. About 
their dwellings were immense quantities of the heads and 
skins of salmon, the best part of which had been cured, 
and hidden in the ground. The women were badly clad; 
the children worse; their garments were buffalo robes, 
or the skins of foxes, hares, and badgers, and sometimes 
the skins of ducks, sewed together, with the plumage on. 
Most of the skins must have been procured by traffic 
with other tribes, or in distant hunting excursions, for 
the naked prairies in the neighborhood afforded few ani¬ 
mals, excepting horses, which were abundant. There 
were signs of buffaloes having been there, but a long time 
before. 

On the 15th of November they made twenty-eight miles 
along the river, which was entirely free from rapids. 
The shores were lined with dead salmon, which tainted 
the whole atmosphere. The natives whom they met 
spoke of Mr. Reed’s party having passed through that 
neighborhood. In the course of the day Mr. Hunt saw a 
few horses, but the owners of them took care to hurry 
them out of the way. All the provisions they were able 
26 


402 


ASTORIA . 


to procure, were two dogs and a salmon. On the follow* 
ing day they were still worse off, having to subsist on 
parched corn, and the remains of their dried meat. The 
river this day had resumed its turbulent character, forc¬ 
ing its way through a narrow channel between steep 
rocks, and down violent rapids. They made twenty miles 
over a rugged road, gradually approaching a mountain in 
the northwest, covered with snow, which had been in 
sight for three days past. 

On the 17th they met with several Indians, one of 
whom had a horse. Mr. Hunt was extremely desirous of 
obtaining it as a pack-horse; for the men, worn down by 
fatigue and hunger, found the loads of twenty pounds’ 
weight which they had to carry, daily growing heavier 
and more galling. The Indians, however, along this 
river, were never willing to part with their horses, hav¬ 
ing none to spare. The owner of the steed in question 
seemed proof against all temptation; article after article 
of great value in Indian eyes was offered and refused. 
The charms of an old tin-kettle, however, were irresisti¬ 
ble, and a bargain was concluded. 

A great part of the following morning was consumed in 
lightening the packages of the men and arranging the 
load for the horse. At this encampment there was no 
wood for fuel, even the wormwood on which they had fre¬ 
quently depended, having disappeared. For the two last 
days they had made thirty miles to the northwest. 

On the 19th of November, Mr. Hunt was lucky enough 


A LIGHT SUPPER. 


403 


to purchase another horse for his own use, giving in ex¬ 
change a tomahawk, a knife, a fire steel, and some beads 
and gartering. In an evil hour, however, he took the ad¬ 
vice of the Indians to abandon the river, and follow a 
road 01 trail, leading into the prairies. He soon had 
cause to regret the change. The road led across a dreary 
waste, without verdure; and where there was neither 
fountain, nor pool, nor running stream. The men now 
began to experience the torments of thirst, aggravated by 
their usual diet of dried fish. The thirst of the Canadian 
voyageurs became so insupportable as to drive them to 
the most revolting means of allaying it. For twenty-five 
miles did they toil on across this dismal desert, and laid 
themselves down at night, parched and disconsolate, be¬ 
side their wormwood fires; looking forward to still 
greater sufferings on the following day. Fortunately it 
began to rain in the night, to their infinite relief; the 
water soon collected in puddles and afforded them deli¬ 
cious draughts. 

Eefreshed in this manner, they resumed their wayfar¬ 
ing as soon as the first streaks of dawn gave light enough 
for them to see their path. The rain continued all day, 
so that they no longer suffered from thirst, but hunger 
took its place, for, after travelling thirty-three miles they 
had nothing to sup on but a little parched corn. 

The next day brought them to the banks of a beautiful 
little stream, running to the west, and fringed with groves 
of cotton-wood and willow. On its borders was an Indian 


404 


ASTORIA . 


camp, with a great many horses grazing around it. The 
inhabitants, too, appeared to be better clad than usual. 
The scene was altogether a cheering one to the poor half- 
famished wanderers. They hastened to their lodges, but 
on arriving at them met with a check that at first damp¬ 
ened their cheerfulness. An Indian immediately laid 
claim to the horse of Mr. Hunt, saying that it had been 
stolen from him. There was no disproving a fact sup¬ 
ported by numerous bystanders, and which the horse 
stealing habits of the Indians rendered but too probable; 
so Mr. Hunt relinquished his steed to the claimant; not 
being able to retain him by a second purchase. 

At this place they encamped for the night, and made a 
sumptuous repast upon fish and a couple of dogs, pro¬ 
cured from their Indian neighbors. The next day they 
kept along the river, but came to a halt after ten miles’ 
march, on account of the rain. Here they again got a 
supply of fish and dogs from the natives ; and two of the 
men were fortunate enough each to get a horse in ex¬ 
change for a buffalo robe. One of these men was Pierre 
Dorion, the half-breed interpreter, to whose suffering 
family the horse was a timely acquisition. And here we 
cannot but notice the wonderful patience, perseverance, 
and hardihood of the Indian women, as exemplified in 
the conduct of the poor squaw of the interpreter. She 
was now far advanced in her pregnancy, and had two 
children to take care of; one four, and the other two 
years of age. The latter of course she had frequently to 


HARDIHOOD OF THE INDIAN WOMEN 


405 


carry on her back, in addition to the burden usually im¬ 
posed upon the squaw, yet she had borne all her hard¬ 
ships without a murmur, and throughout this weary and 
painful journey had kept pace with the best of the pedes¬ 
trians. Indeed on various occasions in the course of this 
enterprise, she displayed a force of character that won 
the respect and applause of the white men. 

Mr. Hunt endeavored to gather some information from 
these Indians concerning the country and the course of 
the rivers. His communications with them had to be by 
signs, and a few words which he had learnt, and of course 
were extremely vague. All that he could learn from 
them was, that the great river, the Columbia, was still far 
distant, but he could ascertain nothing as to the route he 
ought to take to arrive at it. For the two following days 
they continued westward upwards of forty miles along 
the little stream, until they crossed it just before its 
junction with Snake River, which they found still run¬ 
ning to the north. Before them was a wintry-looking 
mountain covered with snow on all sides. 

In three days more they made about seventy miles; 
fording two small rivers, the waters of which were very 
cold. Provisions were extremely scarce ; their chief sus¬ 
tenance was portable soup; a meagre diet for weary 
pedestrians. 

On the 27th of November the river led them into the 
mountains through a rocky defile where there was 
scarcely room to pass. They were frequently obliged to 


406 


ASTORIA. 


unload tlie horses to get them by the narrow places; and 
sometimes to wade through the water in getting round 
rocks and butting cliffs. All their food this day was a 
beaver which they had caught the night before; by even¬ 
ing, the cravings of hunger were so sharp, and the pros¬ 
pect of any supply among the mountains so faint, that 
they had to kill one of the horses. “ The men,” says Mr. 
Hunt in his journal, “ find the meat very good, and, in¬ 
deed, so should I, were it not for the attachment I have 
to the animal.” 

Early in the following day, after proceeding ten miles 
to the north, they came to two lodges of Shoshonies, who 
seemed in nearly as great an extremity as themselves, 
having just killed two horses for food. They had no 
other provisions excepting the seed of a weed which they 
gather in great quantities, and pound fine. It resembles 
hemp-seed. Mr. Hunt purchased a bag of it, and also 
some small pieces of horse flesh, which he began to 
relish, pronouncing them “ fat and tender.” 

From these Indians he received information that sev¬ 
eral white men had gone down the river, some one side, 
and a good many on the other; these last he concluded 
to be Mr. Crooks and his party. He was thus released 
from much anxiety about their safety, especially as the 
Indians spoke about Mr. Crooks having one of his dogs 
yet, which showed that he and his men had not been 
reduced to extremity of hunger. 

As Mr. Hunt feared that he might be several days in 


TOILSOME PROGRESS. 


407 


passing through this mountain defile, and run the risk of 
famine, he encamped in the neighborhood of the Indians, 
for the purpose of bartering with them for a horse. The 
evening was expended in ineffectual trials. He offered a 
gun, a buffalo robe, and various other articles. The poor 
fellows had, probably, like himself, the fear of starvation 
before their eyes. At length the women, learning the 
object of his pressing solicitations, and tempting offers, 
set up such a terrible hue and cry, that he was fairly 
howled and scolded from the ground. 

The next morning early, the Indians seemed very de¬ 
sirous to get rid of their visitors, fearing, probably, for 
the safety of their horses. In reply to Mr. Hunt’s in¬ 
quiries about the mountains, they told him that he would 
have to sleep but three nights more among them; and 
that six days’ travelling would take him to the falls of 
the Columbia; information in which he put no faith, 
believing it was only given to induce him to set forward. 
These, he was told, were the last Snakes he would meet 
with, and that he would soon come to a nation called 
Sciatogas. 

Forward then did he proceed on his tedious journey, 
which, at every step, grew more painful. The road con¬ 
tinued for two days, through narrow defiles, where they 
were repeatedly obliged to unload the horses. Some¬ 
times the river passed through such rocky chasms and 
under such steep precipices that they had to leave it, 
and make their way, with excessive labor, over immense 


408 


ASTOKIA. 


hills, almost impassable for horses. On some of these 
hills were a few pine trees, and their summits were cov¬ 
ered with snow. On the second day of this scramble one 
of the hunters killed a black-tailed deer, which afforded 
the half-starved travellers a sumptuous repast. Their 
progress these two days was twenty-eight miles, a little 
to the northward of east. 

The month of December set in drearily, with rain in 
the valleys, and snow upon the hills. They had to climb 
a mountain with snow to the midleg, which increased 
their painful toil. A small beaver supplied them with a 
scanty meal, which they eked out with frozen black¬ 
berries, haws, and choke-cherries, which they found in 
the course of their scramble. Their journey this day, 
though excessively fatiguing, was but thirteen miles; and 
all the next day they had to remain encamped, not being 
able to see half a mile ahead, on account of a snow¬ 
storm. Having nothing else to eat, they were compelled 
to kill another of their horses. The next day they re¬ 
sumed their march in snow and rain, but with all their 
efforts could only get forward nine miles, having for a 
part of the distance to unload the horses and carry the 
packs themselves. On the succeeding morning they were 
obliged to leave the river, and scramble up the hills. 
From the summit of these, they got a wide view of the 
surrounding country, and it was a prospect almost suffi¬ 
cient to make them despair. In every direction they 
beheld snowy mountains, partially sprinkled with pines 


TRAVELLING IN A SNOW STORM. 


409 


and other evergreens, and spreading a desert and toil* 
some world around them. The wind howled over the 
bleak and wintry landscape, and seemed to penetrate to 
the marrow of their bones. They waded on through the 
snow, which at every step was more than knee deep. 

After toiling in this way all day, they had the mor¬ 
tification to find that they were but four miles distant 
from the encampment of the preceding night, such was 
the meandering of the river among these dismal hills. 
Pinched with famine, exhausted with fatigue, with even¬ 
ing approaching, and a wintry wild still lengthening as 
they advanced; they began to look forward with sad 
forebodings to the night’s exposure upon this frightful 
waste. Fortunately they succeeded in reaching a cluster 
of pines about sunset. Their axes were immediately at 
work; they cut down trees, piled them in great heaps, 
and soon had huge fires “ to cheer their cold and hungry 
hearts.” 

About three o’clock in the morning it again began to 
snow, and at daybreak they found themselves, as it were, 
in a cloud; scarcely being able to distinguish objects at 
the distance of a hundred bards. Guiding themselves by 
the sound of running water, they set out for the river, 
and by slipping and sliding contrived to get down to its 
bank. One of the horses, missing his footing, rolled 
down several hundred yards with his load, but sustained 
no injury. The weather in the valley was less rigorous 
than on the hills. The snow lay but ankle deep, and 


410 


ASTORIA. 


there was a quiet rain now falling. After creeping along 
for six miles, they encamped on the border of the river. 
Being utterly destitute of provisions, they were again 
compelled to kill one of their horses to appease their 
famishing hunger. 


CHAPTER XXXV. 


AH UNEXPECTED MEETING. —NAVIGATION IN A SKIN CANOE.—STRANGE FEARS 
OF SUFFERING MEN.—HARDSHIPS OF MR. CROOKS AND HIS COMRADES.— 
TIDINGS OF M’LELLAN.—A RETROGRADE MARCH.—A WILLOW RAFT.—EX¬ 
TREME SUFFERING OF SOME OF THE PARTY.—ILLNESS OF MR. CROOKS.— 
IMPATIENCE OF SOME OF THE MEN.—NECESSITY OF LEAVING THE LAGGARDS 
BEHIND. 


HE wanderers had now accomplished four hun¬ 
dred and seventy-two miles of their dreary 
journey since leaving the Caldron Linn, how 
much further they had yet to travel, and what hardships 
to encounter, no one knew. 

On the morning of the 6th of December, they left their 
dismal encampment, but had scarcely begun their march, 
when, to their surprise, they beheld a party of white men 
coming up along the opposite bank of the river. As they 
drew nearer, they were recognized for Mr. Crooks and 
his companions. When they came opposite, and could 
make themselves heard across the murmuring of the 
river, their first cry was for food ; in fact, they were 
almost starved. Mr. Hunt immediately returned to the 
camp, and had a kind of canoe made out of the skin of 
the horse, killed on the preceding night. This was done 

411 



4 











412 


ASTORIA. 


after tlie Indian fashion, by drawing up the edges of the 
skin with thongs, and keeping them distended by sticks 
or thwart pieces. In this frail bark, Sardepie, one of the 
Canadians, carried over a portion of the flesh of the 
horse to the famishing party on the opposite side of the 
river, and brought back with him Mr. Crooks, and the 
Canadian, Le Clerc. The forlorn and wasted looks, and 
starving condition of these two men, struck dismay to 
the hearts of Mr. Hunt’s followers. They had been ac¬ 
customed to each other’s appearance, and to the gradual 
operation of hunger and hardship upon their frames, but 
the change in the looks of these men, since last they 
parted, was a type of the famine and desolation of the 
land; and they now began to indulge the horrible pre¬ 
sentiment that they would all starve together, or be 
reduced to the direful alternative of casting lots ! 

When Mr. Crooks had appeased his hunger, he gave 
Mr. Hunt some account of his wayfaring. On the side of 
the river, along which he had kept, he had met with but 
few Indians, and those were too miserably poor to yield 
much assistance. For the first eighteen days after leav¬ 
ing the Caldron Linn, he and his men had been confined 
to half a meal in twenty-four hours; for three days fol¬ 
lowing, they had subsisted on a single beaver, a few wild 
cherries, and the soles of old moccasins ; and for the last 
six days their only animal food had been the carcass of a 
dog. They had been three days’ journey further down 
the river than Mr. Hunt, always keeping as near to its 


SUFFERINGS OF MR. CROOKS’S PARTY. 413 

banks as possible, and frequently climbing over sharp 
and rocky ridges that projected into the stream. At 
length they had arrived to where the mountains increased 
in height, and came closer to the river, with perpendicu¬ 
lar precipices, which rendered it impossible to keep along 
the stream. The river here rushed with incredible veloc¬ 
ity through a defile not more than thirty yards wide, 
where cascades and rapids succeeded each other almost 
without intermission. Even had the opposite banks, 
therefore, been such as to permit a continuance of their 
journey, it would have been madness to attempt to pass 
the tumultuous current either on rafts or otherwise. 
Still bent, however, on pushing forward, they attempted 
to climb the opposing mountains; and struggled on 
through the snow for half a day until, coming to where 
they could command a prospect, they found that they 
were not half way to the summit, and that mountain 
upon mountain lay piled beyond them, in wintry desola¬ 
tion. Famished and emaciated as they were, to continue 
forward would be to perish ; their only chance seemed 
to be to regain the river, and retrace their steps up its 
banks. It was in this forlorn and retrograde march that 
they had met Mr. Hunt and his party. 

Mr. Crooks also gave information of some others of 
their fellow adventurers. He had spoken several days 
previously with Mr. Heed and Mr. M’Kenzie, who with 
their men were on the opposite side of the river, where 
it was impossible to get over to them. They informed 


414 


ASTORIA. 


him that Mr. M’Lellan had struck across from the little 
river above the mountains, in the hope of falling in with 
some of the tribe of Flatheads, who inhabit the western 
skirts of the Rocky range. As the companions of Reed 
and M’Kenzie were picked men, and had found pro¬ 
visions more abundant on their side of the river, they 
were in better condition, and more fitted to contend with 
the difficulties of the country, than those of Mr. Crooks, 
and when he lost sight of them, were pushing onward, 
down the course of the river. 

Mr. Hunt took a night to revolve over his critical situ¬ 
ation, and to determine what was to be done. No time 
was to be lost; he had twenty men and more, in his own 
party, to provide for, and Mr. Crooks and his men to re¬ 
lieve. To linger would be to starve. The idea of retrac¬ 
ing his steps was intolerable, and, notwithstanding all 
the discouraging accounts of the ruggedness of the 
mountains lower down the river, he would have been dis¬ 
posed to attempt them, but the depth of the snow with 
which they were covered deterred him; having already 
experienced the impossibility of forcing his way against 
such an impediment. 

The only alternative, therefore, appeared to be, to re¬ 
turn and seek the Indian bands scattered along the small 
rivers above the mountains. Perhaps, from some of these 
he might procure horses enough to support him until he 
could reach the Columbia; for he still cherished the 
hope of arriving at that river in the course of the winter, 


RETROGRADE MARCH. 


415 


though he was apprehensive that few of Mr. Crooks’s 
party would be sufficiently strong to follow him. Even 
in adopting this course, he had to make up his mind to 
the certainty of several days of famine at the outset, for 
it would take that time to reach the last Indian lodges 
from which he had parted, and until they should arrive 
there, his people would have nothing to subsist upon but 
haws and wild berries, excepting one miserable horse, 
which was little better than skin and bone. 

After a night of sleepless cogitation, Mr. Hunt an¬ 
nounced to his men the dreary alternative he had 
adopted, and preparations were made to take Mr. Crooks 
and Le Clerc across the river, with the remainder of the 
meat, as the other party were to keep up along the op¬ 
posite bank. The skin canoe had unfortunately been 
lost in the night; a raft was constructed therefore, after 
the manner of the natives, of bundles of willows, but it 
could not be floated across the impetuous current. The 
men were directed, in consequence, to keep on along the 
river by themselves, while Mr. Crooks and Le Clerc 
would proceed with Mr. Hunt. They all, then, took up 
their retrograde march with drooping spirits. 

In a little while, it was found that Mr. Crooks and Le 
Clerc were so feeble as to walk with difficulty, so that 
Mr. Hunt was obliged to retard his pace, that they might 
keep up with him. His men grew impatient at the de¬ 
lay. They murmured that they had a long and desolate 
region to traverse, before they could arrive at the point 


416 


ASTORIA. 


where they might expect to find horses; that it was im¬ 
possible for Crooks and Le Clerc, in their feeble con¬ 
dition, to get over it; that to remain with them would 
only be to starve in their company. They importuned 
Mr. Hunt, therefore, to leave these unfortunate men to 
their fate, and think only of the safety of himself and his 
party. Finding him not to be moved either by entreaties 
or their clamors, they began to proceed without him, 
singly and in parties. Among those who thus went off 
was Pierre Dorion, the interpreter. Pierre owned the 
only remaining horse ; which was now a mere skeleton. 
Mr. Hunt had suggested, in their present extremity, that 
it should be killed for food; to which the half-breed 
flatly refused his assent, and cudgeling the miserable ani¬ 
mal forward, pushed on sullenly, with the air of a man 
doggedly determined to quarrel for his right. In this 
way Mr. Hunt saw his men, one after another, break 
away, until but five remained to bear him company. 

On the following morning, another raft was made, on 
which Mr. Crooks and Le Clerc again attempted to ferry 
themselves across the river, but after repeated trials had 
to give up in despair. This caused additional delay; 
after which they continued to crawl forward at a 
snail’s pace. Some of the men who had remained with 
Mr. Hunt now became impatient of these incumbrances, 
and urged him clamorously to push forward, crying out 
that they should all starve. The night which succeeded 
was intensely cold, so that one of the men was severely 


MR. CROOKS AND LE CLERC LEFT. 41 7 

frost-bitten. In the course of the night, Mr. Crooks was 
taken ill, and in the morning was still more incompetent 
to travel. Their situation was now desperate, for their 
stock of provisions was reduced to three beaver skins. 
Mr. Hunt, therefore, resolved to push on, overtake his 
people, and insist upon having the horse of Pierre Do- 
rion sacrificed for the relief of all hands. Accordingly, 
he left two of his men to help Crooks and Le Clerc on 
their way, giving them two of the beaver skins for their 
support; the remaining skin he retained, as provision 
for himself and the three other men who struck forward 
with him. 


CHAPTEK XXXVI 


MR. HURT OVERTAKES THE ADVANCE PARTY.— PIERRE DORION, AND Hit 
SKELETON HORSE.—A SHOSHONIE CAMP.—A JUSTIFIABLE OUTRAGE.—FEAST¬ 
ING ON HORSE FLESH.—MR. CROOKS BROUGHT TO THE CAMP.—UNDERTAKES 
TO RELIEVE HIS MEN.—THE SKIN FERRY-BOAT.—FRENZY OF PREVOST.—HIS 
MELANCHOLY FATE.—ENFEEBLED STATE OF JOHN DAY.—MR. CROOKS AGAIN 
LEFT BEHIND.—THE PARTY EMERGE FROM AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.—IN¬ 
TERVIEW WITH SHOSHONIES.—A GUIDE PROCURED TO CONDUCT THE PARTY 
ACROSS A MOUNTAIN.—FERRIAGE ACROSS SNAKE RIVER.—REUNION WITH 
MR. CROOKS’S MEN.—FINAL DEPARTURE FROM THE RIVER. 

LL that day, Mr. Hunt and his three comrades 
travelled without eating. At night they made 
a tantalizing supper on their beaver skin, and 
were nearly exhausted by hunger and cold. The next 
day, December 10th, they overtook the advance party, 
who were all as much famished as themselves, some of 
them not having eaten since the morning of the seventh. 
Mr. Hunt now proposed the sacrifice of Pierre Dorion’s 
skeleton horse. Here he again met with positive and 
vehement opposition from the half-breed, who was too 
sullen and vindictive a fellow to be easily dealt with. 
What was singular, the men, though suffering such pinch¬ 
ing hunger, interfered in favor of the horse. They repre¬ 
sented, that it was better to keep on as long as possible 

418 







FEASTING ON HORSEFLESH. 


419 


without resorting to this last resource. Possibly the In¬ 
dians, of whom they were in quest, might have shifted 
their encampment, in which case it would be time enough 
to kill the horse to escape starvation. Mr. Hunt, there¬ 
fore, was prevailed upon to grant Pierre Dorion’s horse 
a reprieve. 

Fortunately, they had not proceeded much further, 
when, towards evening, they came in sight of a lodge of 
Shoshonies, with a number of horses grazing around it. 
The sight was as unexpected as it was joyous. Having seen 
no Indians in this neighborhood as they passed down the 
river, they must have subsequently come out from among 
the mountains. Mr. Hunt, who first descried them, 
checked the eagerness of his companions, knowing the 
unwillingness of these Indians to part with their horses, 
and their aptness to hurry them off and conceal them, in 
case of an alarm. This was no time to risk such a dis¬ 
appointment. Approaching, therefore, stealthily and si¬ 
lently, they came upon the savages by surprise, who fled 
in terror. Five of their horses were eagerly seized, and 
one was despatched upon the spot. The carcass was im¬ 
mediately cut up, and a part of it hastily cooked and rav¬ 
enously devoured. A. man was now sent on horseback 
with a supply of the flesh to Mr. Crooks and his compan¬ 
ions. He reached them in the night; they were so fam¬ 
ished that the supply sent them seemed but to aggravate 
their hunger, and they were almost tempted to kill and 
eat the horse that had brought the messenger. Availing 


420 


ASTORIA. 


themselves of the assistance of the animal, they reached 
the camp early in the morning. 

On arriving there, Mr. Crooks was shocked to find that, 
while the people on this side of the river were amply 
supplied with provisions, none had been sent to his own 
forlorn and famishing men on the opposite bank. He im¬ 
mediately caused a skin canoe to be constructed, and 
called out to his men to fill their camp-kettles with water 
and hang them over the fire, that no time might be lost 
in cooking the meat the moment it should be received. 
The river was so narrow, though deep, that everything 
could be distinctly heard and seen across it. The kettles 
were placed on the fire, and the water was boiling by the 
time the canoe was completed. When all was ready, how¬ 
ever, no one would undertake to ferry the meat across. 
A vague and almost superstitious terror had infected the 
minds of Mr. Hunt’s followers, enfeebled and rendered 
imaginative of horrors by the dismal scenes and suffer¬ 
ings through which they had passed. They regarded the 
haggard crew, hovering like spectres of famine on the op¬ 
posite bank, with indefinite feelings of awe and apprehen¬ 
sion : as if something desperate and dangerous was to be 
feared from them. 

Mr. Crooks tried in vain to reason or shame them out 
of this singular state of mind. He then attempted to 
navigate the canoe himself, but found his strength in¬ 
competent to brave the impetuous current. The good 
feelings of Ben Jones, the Kentuckian, at length over- 


DROWNING OF PEE VO ST. 


421 


came his fears, and he ventured over. The supply he 
brought was received with trembling avidity. A poor 
Canadian, however, named Jean Baptiste Prevost, whom 
famine had rendered wild and desperate, ran frantically 
about the bank, after Jones had returned, crying out to 
Mr. Hunt to send the canoe for him, and take him from 
that horrible region of famine, declaring that otherwise 
he would never march another step, but would lie down 
there and die. 

The canoe was shortly sent over again, under the man¬ 
agement of Joseph Delaunay, with further supplies. Pre¬ 
vost immediately pressed forward to embark. Delaunay 
refused to admit him, telling him that there was now a 
sufficient supply of meat on his side of the river. He re¬ 
plied that it was not cooked, and he should starve before 
it was ready; he implored, therefore, to be taken where 
he could get something to appease his hunger immedi¬ 
ately. Finding the canoe putting off without him, he 
forced himself aboard. As he drew near the opposite 
shore, and beheld meat roasting before the fire, he 
jumped up, shouted, clapped his hands, and danced in a 
delirium of joy, until he upset the canoe. The poor 
wretch was swept away by the current and drowned, and 
it was with extreme difficulty that Delaunay reached the 
shore. 

Mr. Hunt now sent all his men forward excepting two 
or three. In the evening he caused another horse to be 
killed, and a canoe to be made out of the skin, in which 


422 


ASTORIA. 


he sent over a further supply of meat to the opposite 
party. The canoe brought back John Day, the Kentucky 
hunter, who came to join his former employer and com¬ 
mander, Mr. Crooks. Poor Day, once so active and vig¬ 
orous, was now reduced to a condition even more feeble 
and emaciated than his companions. Mr. Crooks had 
such a value for the man, on account of his past services 
and faithful character, that he determined not to quit 
him ; he exhorted Mr. Hunt, however, to proceed for¬ 
ward, and join the party, as his presence was all impor¬ 
tant to the conduct of the expedition. One of the Cana¬ 
dians, Jean Baptiste Dubreuil, likewise remained with 
Mr. Crooks. 

Mr. Hunt left two horses with them, and a part of the 
carcass of the last that had been killed. This, he hoped, 
would be sufficient to sustain them until they should 
reach the Indian encampment. 

One of the chief dangers attending the enfeebled con¬ 
dition of Mr. Crooks and his companions, was their 
being overtaken by the Indians whose horses had been 
seized : though Mr. Hunt hoped that he had guarded 
against any resentment on the part of the savages, by 
leaving various articles in their lodge, more than suffi¬ 
cient to compensate for the outrage he had been com¬ 
pelled to commit. 

Resuming his onward course, Mr. Hunt came up with 
his people in the evening. The next day, December 13th, 
he beheld several Indians, with three horses, on the op- 


EMERGING FROM TEE MOUNTAINS. 


423 


posite side of the river, and after a time came to the two 
lodges which he had seen on going down. Here he en¬ 
deavored in vain to barter a rifle for a horse, but again 
succeeded in effecting the purchase with an old tin kettle, 
aided by a few beads. 

The two succeeding days were cold and stormy; the 
snow was augmenting, and there was a good deal of ice 
running in the river. Their road, however, was becoming 
easier; they were getting out of the hills, and finally 
emerged into the open country, after twenty days of 
fatigue, famine, and hardship of every kind, in the in¬ 
effectual attempt to find a passage down the river. 

They now encamped on a little willowed stream, run¬ 
ning from the east, which they had crossed on the 26th 
of November. Here they found a dozen lodges of 
Shoshonies, recently arrived, who informed them that 
had they persevered along the river, they would have 
found their difficulties augment until they became abso¬ 
lutely insurmountable. This intelligence added to the 
anxiety of Mr. Hunt for the fate of Mr. M’Kenzie and his 
people, who had kept on. 

Mr. Hunt now followed up the little river, and en¬ 
camped at some lodges of Shoshonies, from whom he 
procured a couple of horses, a dog, a few dried fish, and 
some roots and dried cherries. Two or three days were 
exhausted in obtaining information about the route, and 
what time it would take to get to the Sciatogas, a hospit¬ 
able tribe, on the west of the mountains, represented as 


m 


ASTORIA. 


having many horses. The replies were various, but con¬ 
curred in saying that the distance was great, and would 
occupy from seventeen to twenty-one nights. Mr. Hunt 
then tried to procure a guide ; but though he sent to 
various lodges up and down the river, offering articles of 
great value in Indian estimation, no one would venture. 
The snow, they said, was waist deep in the mountains ; 
and to all his offers they shook their heads, gave a 
shiver, and replied, 44 we shall freeze ! we shall freeze! ” 
at the same time they urged him to remain and pass the 
winter among them. 

Mr. Hunt was in a dismal dilemma. To attempt the 
mountains without a guide, would be certain death to 
him and all his people; to remain there, after having 
already been so long on the journey, and at such great 
expense, was worse to him, he said, than two “ deaths.” 
He now changed his tone with the Indians, charged 
them with deceiving him in respect to the mountains, 
and talking with a “ forked tongue,” or, in other words, 
with lying. He upbraided them with their want of 
courage, and told them they were women, to shrink 
from the perils of such a journey. At length one of 
them, piqued by his taunts, or tempted by his offers, 
agreed to be his guide; for which he was to receive a 
gun, a pistol, three knives, two horses, and a little of 
every article in possession of the party; a reward suffi¬ 
cient to make him one of the wealthiest of his vagabond 
nation. 


CROSSING SNAKE RIVER. 


425 


Once more, then, on the 21st of December, they set out 
upon their wayfaring, with newly excited spirits. Two 
other Indians accompanied their guide, who led them 
immediately back to Snake River, which they followed 
down for a short distance, in search of some Indian rafts 
made of reeds, on which they might cross. Finding 
none, Mr. Hunt caused a horse to be killed, and a canoe 
to be made out of its skin. Here, on the opposite bank, 
they saw the thirteen men of Mr. Crooks’s party, who 
had continued up along the river. They told Mr. Hunt, 
across the stream, that they had not seen Mr. Crooks, 
and the two men who had remained with him, since the 
day that he had separated from them. 

The canoe proving too small, another horse was killed, 
and the skin of it joined to that of the first. Night came 
on before the little bark had made more than two voy¬ 
ages. Being badly made it was taken apart and put to¬ 
gether again, by the light of the fire. The night was 
cold ; the men were weary and disheartened with such 
varied and incessant toil and hardship. They crouched, 
dull and drooping, around their fires; many of them be¬ 
gan to express a wish to remain where they were for the 
winter. The very necessity of crossing the river dis¬ 
mayed some of them in their present enfeebled and de¬ 
jected state. It was rapid and turbulent, and filled with 
floating ice, and they remembered that two of their com¬ 
rades had already perished in its waters. Others looked 
forward with misgivings to the long and dismal journey 


426 


ASTORIA. 


through lonesome regions that awaited them, when they 
should have passed this dreary flood. 

At an early hour of the morning, December 23d, they 
began to cross the river. Much ice had formed during 
the night, and they were obliged to break it for some 
distance on each shore. At length they all got over in 
safety to the west side ; and their spirits rose on having 
achieved this perilous passage. Here they were rejoined 
by the people of Mr. Crooks, who had with them a horse 
and a dog, which they had recently procured. The poor 
fellows were in the most squalid and emaciated state. 
Three of them were so completely prostrated in strength 
and spirits, that they expressed a wish to remain among 
the Snakes. Mr. Hunt, therefore, gave them the canoe, 
that they might cross the river, and a few articles, with 
which to procure necessaries, until they should meet 
with Mr. Crooks. There was another man, named 
Michael Carriere, who was almost equally reduced, but 
he determined to proceed with his comrades, who were 
now incorporated with the party of Mr. Hunt. After the 
day’s exertions they encamped together on the banks of 
the river. This was the last night they were to spend 
upon its borders. More than eight hundred miles of 
hard travelling, and many weary days, had it cost them ; 
and the sufferings connected with it rendered it hateful in 
their remembrance, so that the Canadian voyageurs always 
spoke of it as “ La maudite riviere enragee ”—the accursed 
mad river—thus coupling a malediction with its name. 


CHAPTER xxxm 


DEPARTURE from snake river.—mountains to the NORTH.—WAYWORN 
TRAVELLERS.—AN INCREASE OF THE DORION FAMILY.—A CAMP OF SHO- 
SHONIES.—A NEW-YEAH FESTIVAL AMONG THE SNAKES.—A WINTRY MARCH 
THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS.—A SUNNY PROSPECT, AND MILDER CLIMATE.— 
INDIAN HORSE-TRACKS.—GRASSY VALLEYS.—A CAMP OF SCIATOGAS.—JOY 
OF THE TRAVELLERS.—DANGERS OF ABUNDANCE.—HABITS OF THE SCIATO¬ 
GAS.—FATE OF CARRIERE.—THE UMATALLA.—ARRIVAL AT THE BANKS OF 
THE COLUMBIA.—TIDINGS OF THE SCATTERED MEMBERS OF THE EXPEDI¬ 
TION.—SCENERY ON THE COLUMBIA.—TIDINGS OF ASTORIA.—ARRIVAL AT 
THE FALLS. 

N the 24th of December, all things being ar¬ 
ranged, Mr. Hunt turned his back upon the 
disastrous banks of Snake Kiver, and struck 
his course westward for the mountains. His party being 
augmented by the late followers of Mr. Crooks, amounted 
now to thirty-two white men, three Indians, and the 
squaw and two children of Pierre Dorion. Five jaded, 
half-starved horses were laden with their luggage, and, 
in case of need, were to furnish them with provisions. 
They travelled painfully about fourteen miles a day, over 
plains and among hills, rendered dreary by occasional 
falls of snow and rain. Their only sustenance was a 
scanty meal of horse flesh once in four-and-twenty hours. 











428 


ASTORIA. 


On the third day the poor Canadian, Carriere, one of 
the famished party of Mr. Crooks, gave up in despair, 
and lying down upon the ground declared he could go no 
further. Efforts were made to cheer him up, but it was 
found that the poor fellow was absolutely exhausted and 
could not keep on his legs. He was mounted, therefore, 
upon one of the horses, though the forlorn animal was in 
little better plight than himself. 

On the 28th, they came upon a small stream wind¬ 
ing to the north, through a fine level valley; the moun¬ 
tains receding on each side. Here their Indian friends 
pointed out a chain of woody mountains to the left, run¬ 
ning north and south, and covered with snow; over 
which they would have to pass. They kept along the 
valley for twenty-one miles on the 29th, suffering much 
from a continued fall of snow and rain, and being twice 
obliged to ford the icy stream. Early in the following 
morning the squaw of Pierre Dorion, who had hitherto 
kept on without murmuring or flinching, was suddenly 
taken in labor, and enriched her husband with another 
child. As the fortitude and good conduct of the poor 
woman had gained for her the good-will of the party, her 
situation caused concern and perplexity. Pierre, how¬ 
ever, treated the matter as an occurrence that could soon 
be arranged and need cause no delay. He remained by 
his wife in the camp, with his other children and his 
horse, and promised soon to rejoin the main body, wha 
proceeded on their march. 


A GENIAL CLIMATE. 


429 


Finding that the little river entered the mountains, 
they abandoned it, and turned off for a few miles among 
hills. Here another Canadian, named La Bonte, gave 
out, and had to be helped on horseback. As the horse 
was too w r eak to bear both him and his pack, Mr. Hunt 
took the latter upon his own shoulders. Thus, with diffi¬ 
culties augmenting at every step, they urged their toil¬ 
some way among the hills, half famished and faint at 
heart, when they came to where a fair valley spread out 
before them, of great extent and several leagues in width, 
with a beautiful stream meandering through it. A genial 
climate seemed to prevail here, for though the snow lay 
upon all the mountains within sight, there was none to 
be seen in the valley. The travellers gazed with delight 
upon this serene, sunny landscape, but their joy was com¬ 
plete on beholding six lodges of Shoshonies pitched upon 
the borders of the stream, with a number of horses and 
dogs about them. They all pressed forward with eager* 
ness and soon reached the camp. Here their first atten¬ 
tion was to obtain provisions. A rifle, an old musket, a 
tomahawk, a tin kettle, and a small quantity of ammuni¬ 
tion, soon procured them four horses, three dogs, and 
some roots. Part of the live stock was immediately killed, 
cooked with all expedition, and as promptly devoured. 
A hearty meal restored every one to good spirits. In the 
course of the following morning the Dorion family made 
its reappearance. Pierre came trudging in the advance, 
followed by his valued, though skeleton steed, on which 


430 


ASTORIA . 


was mounted his squaw with her new-born infant in her 
arms, and her boy of two years old wrapped in a blanket 
and slung at her side. The mother looked as uncon¬ 
cerned as if nothing had happened to her ; so easy is na¬ 
ture in her operations in the wilderness, when free from 
the enfeebling refinements of luxury, and the tamperings 
and appliances of art. 

The next morning ushered in the new year (1812). Mr 
Hunt was about to resume his march, when his men re 
quested permission to celebrate the day. This was par 
ticularly urged by the Canadian voyageurs, with whom 
New-Year’s day is a favorite festival; and who never will¬ 
ingly give up a holiday, under any circumstances. There 
was no resisting such an application ; so the day was 
passed in repose and revelry; the poor Canadians con¬ 
trived to sing and dance in defiance of all their hard¬ 
ships ; and there was a sumptuous New-Year’s banquet 
of dog’s meat and horse flesh. 

After two days of welcome rest, the travellers ad¬ 
dressed themselves once more to their painful journey. 
The Indians of the lodges pointed out a distant gap 
through which they must pass in traversing the ridge of 
mountains. They assured them that they would be but 
little incommoded by snow, and in three days would ar¬ 
rive among the Sciatogas. Mr. Hunt, however, had been 
so frequently deceived by Indian accounts of routes and 
distances, that he gave but little faith to this information. 

The travellers continued their course due west for five 


CHEERING PROSPECTS. 


431 


days, crossing the valley and entering the mountains. 
Here the travelling became excessively toilsome, across 
rough stony ridges, and amidst fallen trees. They were 
often knee deep in snow, and sometimes in the hollows 
between the ridges sank up to their waists. The weather 
was extremely cold; the sky covered with clouds so that 
for days they had not a glimpse of the sun. In traversing 
the highest ridge they had a wide but chilling prospect 
over a wilderness of snowy mountains. 

On the 6th of January, however, they had crossed the 
dividing summit of the chain, and were evidently under 
the influence of a milder climate. The snow began to 
decrease ; the sun once more emerged from the thick 
canopy of clouds, and shone cheeringly upon them, and 
they caught a sight of what appeared to be a plain, 
stretching out in the west. They hailed it as the poor 
Israelites hailed the first glimpse of the promised land, 
for they flattered themselves that this might be the great 
plain of the Columbia, and that their painful pilgrimage 
might be drawing to a close. 

It was now five days since they had left the lodges of 
the Shoshonies, during which they had come about sixty 
miles, and their guide assured them that in the course of 
the next day they would see the Sciatogas. 

On the following morning, therefore, they pushed for¬ 
ward with eagerness, and soon fell upon a stream which 
led them through a deep narrow defile, between stupen¬ 
dous ridges. Here among the rocks and precipices they 


432 


ASTORIA. 


saw gangs of tliat mountain-loving animal, the black¬ 
tailed deer, and came to where great tracks of horses 
were to be seen in all directions, made by the Indian 
hunters. 

The snow had entirely disappeared, and the hopes of 
soon coming upon some Indian encampment induced Mr. 
Hunt to press on. Many of the men, however, were so 
enfeebled that they could not keep up with the main 
body, but lagged at intervals behind : and some of them 
did not arrive at the night encampment. In the course 
of this day’s march the recently-born child of Pierre 
Dorion died. 

The march was resumed early the next morning, with¬ 
out waiting for the stragglers. The stream which they 
had followed throughout the preceding day was now 
swollen by the influx of another river; the declivities of 
the hills were green and the valleys were clothed with 
grass. At length the jovial cry was given of “ an Indian 
camp ! ” It was yet in the distance, in the bosom of the 
green valley, but they could perceive that it consisted of 
numerous lodges, and that hundreds of horses were graz¬ 
ing the grassy meadows around it. The prospect of 
abundance of horse flesh diffused universal joy, for by 
this time the whole stock of travelling provisions was 
reduced to the skeleton steed of Pierre Dorion, and 
another wretched animal, equally emaciated, that had 
been repeatedly reprieved during the journey. 

A forced march soon brought the weary and hungry 


CAMP OF SCIATOOAS AND TUS-CHE-PAS. 433 


travellers to the camp. It proved to be a strong party 
of Sciatogas and Tus-ehe-pas. There were thirty-four 
lodges, comfortably constructed of mats; the Indians, 
too, were better clothed than any of the wandering bands 
they had hitherto met on this side of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains. Indeed they were as well clad as the generality 
of the wild hunter tribes. Each had a good buffalo or 
deer skin robe; and a deer skin hunting shirt and leg- 
gins. Upwards of two thousand horses were ranging the 
pastures around their encampment; but what delighted 
Mr. Hunt was, on entering the lodges, to behold brass 
kettles, axes, copper tea-kettles, and various other arti¬ 
cles of civilized manufacture, which showed that these 
Indians had an indirect communication with the people 
of the sea-coast who traded with the whites. He made 
eager inquiries of the Sciatogas, and gathered from them 
that the great river (the Columbia) was but two days* 
march distant, and that several white people had recently 
descended it; who he hoped might prove to be M’Lellan, 
M’Kenzie, and their companions. 

It was with the utmost joy and the most profound 
gratitude to heaven, that Mr. Hunt found himself and his 
band of weary and famishing wanderers thus safely extri¬ 
cated from the most perilous part of their long journey, 
and within the prospect of a termination of their toils. 
All the stragglers who had lagged behind arrived, one 
after another, excepting the poor Canadian voyageur, 
Carriere. He had been seen late in the preceding after- 


434 


ASTORIA . 


noon, riding behind a Snake Indian, near some lodges of 
that nation, a few miles distant from the last night’s en¬ 
campment ; and it was expected that he would soon make 
his appearance. 

The first object of Mr. Hunt was to obtain provisions 
for his men. A little venison of an indifferent quality, 
and some roots were all that could be procured that 
evening; but the next day he succeeded in purchasing a 
mare and colt, which were immediately killed, and the 
cravings of the half-starved people in some degree ap¬ 
peased. 

For several days they remained in the neighborhood 
of these Indians, reposing after all their hardships, and 
feasting upon horse flesh and roots, obtained in subse¬ 
quent traffic. Many of the people ate to such excess as 
to render themselves sick, others were lame from their 
past journey ; but all gradually recruited in the repose 
and abundance of the valley. Horses were obtained here 
much more readily, and at a cheaper rate, than among 
the Snakes. A blanket, a knife, or a half pound of blue 
beads would purchase a steed, and at this rate many of 
the men bought horses for their individual use. 

This tribe of Indians, who are represented as a proud¬ 
spirited race, and uncommonly cleanly, never eat horses 
or dogs, nor would they permit the raw flesh of either to 
be brought into their huts. They had a small quantity 
of venison in each lodge, but set so high a price upon it 
that the white men, in their impoverished state, could not 


HABITS OF THE SCIA TOGAS. 


435 


afford to purchase it. They hunted the deer on horse¬ 
back ; “ ringing,” or surrounding them, and running them 
down in a circle. They were admirable horsemen, and 
their weapons were bows and arrows, which they man¬ 
aged with great dexterity. They were altogether primi¬ 
tive in their habits, and seemed to cling to the usages of 
savage life, even when possessed of the aids of civiliza¬ 
tion. They had axes among them, yet they generally 
made use of a stone mallet wrought into the shape of a 
bottle, and wedges of elk horn, in splitting their wood. 
Though they might have two or three brass kettles hang¬ 
ing in their lodges, yet they would frequently use vessels 
made of willow, for carrying water, and would even boil 
their meat in them, by means of hot stones. Then- 
women wore caps of willow neatly worked and figured. 

As Carriere, the Canadian straggler, did not make his 
appearance for two or three days after the encampment 
in the valley, two men were sent out on horseback in 
search of him. They returned, however, without success. 
The lodges of the Snake Indians near which he had been 
seen were removed, and they could find no trace of him. 
Several days more elapsed, yet nothing was seen or heard 
of him, or of the Snake horseman, behind whom he had 
been last observed. It was feared, therefore, that he had 
either perished through hunger and fatigue; had been 
murdered by the Indians ; or, being left to himself, had 
mistaken some hunting tracks for the trail of the party, 
and been led astray and lost. 


436 


ASTORIA. 


The river on the banks of which they were encamped, 
emptied into the Columbia, was called by the natives the 
Eu-o-tal-la, or Umatalla, and abounded with beaver. In 
the course of their sojourn in the valley which it watered, 
they twice shifted their camp, proceeding about thirty 
miles down its course, which was to the west. A heavy 
fall of rain caused the river to overflow its banks, dis¬ 
lodged them from their encampment, and drowned three 
of their horses, which were tethered in the low ground. 

Further conversation with the Indians satisfied them 
that they were in the neighborhood of the Columbia. 
The number of the white men who they said had passed 
down the river, agreed with that of M’Lellan, M’Kenzie, 
and their companions, and increased the hope of Mr. 
Hunt that they might have passed through the wilder¬ 
ness with safety. 

These Indians had a vague story that white men were 
coming to trade among them; and they often spoke of 
two great men named Ke-Koosh and Jacquean, who 
gave them tobacco, and smoked with them. Jacquean, 
they said, had a house somewhere upon the great river. 
Some of the Canadians supposed they were speaking of 
one Jacquean Finlay, a clerk of the Northwest Company, 
and inferred that the house must be some trading post 
on one of the tributary streams of the Columbia. The 
Indians were overjoyed when they found this band of 
white men intended to return and trade with them. 
They promised to use all diligence in collecting quanti- 


THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 


437 


ties of beaver skins, and no doubt proceeded to make 
deadly war upon that sagacious, but ill-fated animal, 
who, in general, lived in peaceful insignificance among 
his Indian neighbors, before the intrusion of the white 
trader. On the 20th of January, Mr. Hunt took lea\e of 
these friendly Indians, and of the river on which they 
encamped, and continued westward. 

At length, on the following day, the wayworn travellers 
lifted up their eyes and beheld before them the long- 
sought waters of the Columbia. The sight was hailed 
with as much transport as if they had already reached 
the end of their pilgrimage ; nor can we wonder at their 
joy. Two hundred and forty miles had they marched, 
through wintry wastes and rugged mountains, since leav¬ 
ing Snake River; and six months of perilous wayfaring 
had they experienced since their departure from the 
Arickara village on the Missouri. Their whole route by 
land and water from that point had been, according to 
their computation, seventeen hundred and fifty-one miles, 
in the course of which they had endured all kinds of 
hardships. In fact, the necessity of avoiding the danger¬ 
ous country of the Blackfeet had obliged them to make a 
bend to the south and traverse a great additional extent 
of unknown wilderness. 

The place where they struck the Columbia was some 
distance below the junction of its two great branches, 
Lewis and Clarke rivers, and not far from the influx of 
the Wallah-Wallah. It was a beautiful stream, three- 


438 


ASTORIA . 


quarters of a mile wide, totally free from trees ; bordered 
in some places with steep rocks, in others with pebbled 
shores. 

On the banks of the Columbia they found a miserable 
horde of Indians, called Akai-chies, with no clothing but 
a scanty mantle of the skins of animals, and sometimes a 
pair of sleeves of wolfs skin. Their lodges were shaped 
like a tent, and very light and warm, being covered with 
mats of rushes; beside which they had excavations in 
the ground, lined with mats, and occupied by the women, 
who were even more slightly clad than the men. These 
people subsisted chiefly by fishing ; having canoes of a 
rude construction, being merely the trunks of pine trees 
split and hollowed out by fire. Their lodges were well 
stored with dried salmon, and they had great quantities 
of fresh salmon trout of an excellent flavor, taken at the 
mouth of the Umatalla ; of which the travellers obtained 
a most acceptable supply. 

Finding that the road was on the north side of the 
river, Mr. Hunt crossed, and continued five or six days 
travelling rather slowly down along its banks, being 
much delayed by the straying of the horses, and the at¬ 
tempts made by the Indians to steal them. They fre¬ 
quently passed lodges, where they obtained fish and 
dogs. At one place the natives had just returned from 
hunting, and had brought back a large quantity of elk 
and deer meat, but asked so high a price for it as to be 
beyond the funds of the travellers, so they had to content 


DELIGHTFUL WEATHER. 


439 


themselves with dog’s flesh. They had by this time, 
however, come to consider it very choice food, superior 
to horse flesh, and the minutes of the expedition speak 
rather exultingly now and then, of their having made a 
famous “ repast,” where this viand happened to be un¬ 
usually plenty. 

They again learnt tidings of some of the scattered 
members of the expedition, supposed to be M’Kenzie, 
M’Lellan, and their men, who had preceded them down 
the river, and had overturned one of their canoes, by 
which they lost many articles. All these floating pieces 
of intelligence of their fellow adventurers, who had sepa¬ 
rated from them in the heart of the wilderness, they re¬ 
ceived with eager interest. 

The weather continued to be temperate, marking the 
superior softness of the climate on this side of the moun¬ 
tains. For a great part of the time, the days were de¬ 
lightfully mild and clear, like the serene days of October 
on the Atlantic borders. The country in general, in the 
neighborhood of the river, was a continual plain, low 
near the water, but rising gradually; destitute of trees, 
and almost without shrubs or plants of any kind, except¬ 
ing a few willow bushes. After travelling about sixty 
miles, they came to where the country became very hilly 
and the river made its way between rocky banks, and 
down numerous rapids. The Indians in this vicinity 
were better clad and altogether in more prosperous con¬ 
dition than those above, and, as Mr. Hunt thougl; 


440 


ASTORIA . 


showed their consciousness of ease by something like 
sauciness of manner. Thus prosperity is apt to produce 
arrogance in savage as well as in civilized life. In both 
conditions, man is an animal that will not bear pam¬ 
pering. 

From these people Mr. Hunt for the first time received 
vague, but deeply interesting intelligence of that part of 
the enterprise which had proceeded by sea to the mouth 
of the Columbia. The Indians spoke of a number of 
white men who had built a large house at the mouth of 
the great river, and surrounded it with palisades. None 
of them had been down to Astoria themselves; but 
rumors spread widely and rapidly from mouth to mouth 
among the Indian tribes, and are carried to the heart of 
the interior by hunting parties and migratory hordes. 

The establishment of a trading emporium at such a 
point, also, was calculated to cause a sensation to the 
most remote parts of the vast wilderness beyond the 
mountains. It in a manner struck the pulse of the great 
vital river, and vibrated up all its tributary streams. 

It is surprising to notice how well this remote tribe of 
savages had learnt through intermediate gossips, the pri¬ 
vate feelings of the colonists at Astoria: it shows that 
Indians are not the incurious and indifferent observers 
that they have been represented. They told Mr. Hunt 
that the white people at the large house had been look¬ 
ing anxiously for many of their friends, whom they had 
expected to descend the great river; and had been in 


FALLS OF THE COLUMBIA. 


441 

much affliction, fearing that they were lost. Now, how¬ 
ever, the arrival of him and his party would wipe away 
all their tears, and they would dance and sing for joy. 

On the 31st of January, Mr. Hunt arrived at the falls 
of the Columbia, and encamped at the village of the 
Wish-ram, situated at the head of that dangerous pass of 
the river called “ the Long Narrows.” 


CHAPTER, XXXVHL 


THE VILLAGE OF WISH-RAM.—ROGUERY OF THE INHABITANTS.—THEIR HABI¬ 
TATIONS.—TIDINGS OF ASTORIA.—OF THE TONQUIN MASSACRE.—THIEVES 
ABOUT THE CAMP.—A BAND OF BRAGGARTS.—EMBARKATION.—ARRIVAL AT 
ASTORIA.—A JOYFUL RECEPTION.—OLD COMRADES.—ADVENTURES OF REED, 
M’LELLAN, AND M’KENZIE AMONG THE SNAKE RIVER MOUNTAINS.—REJOIC¬ 
ING AT ASTORIA. 



F the village of Wish-ram, the aborigines* fish¬ 
ing mart of the Columbia, we have given some 
account in an early chapter of this work. The 
inhabitants held a traffic in the productions of the fish¬ 
eries of the falls, and their village was the trading resort 
of the tribes from the coast and from the mountains. 
Mr. Hunt found the inhabitants shrewder and more intel¬ 
ligent than any Indians he had met with. Trade had 
sharpened their wits, though it had not improved their 
honesty; for they were a community of arrant rogues and 
freebooters. Their habitations comported with their cir¬ 
cumstances, and were superior to any the travellers had 
yet seen west of the Rocky Mountains. In general, the 
dwellings of the savages on the Pacific side of that great 
barrier were mere tents and cabins of mats, or skins, or 
straw, the country being destitute of timber. In Wish- 

442 







DISTRESSING INTELLIGENCE. 


443 


ram, on the contrary, the houses were built of wood, with 
long sloping roofs; The floor was sunk about six feet be¬ 
low the surface of the ground, with a low door at the 
gable end, extremely narrow, and partly sunk. Through 
this it was necessary to crawl and then to descend a short 
ladder. This inconvenient entrance was probably for the 
purpose of defense ; there were loop-holes also under the 
eaves, apparently for the discharge of arrows. The 
houses were large, generally containing two or three 
families. Immediately within the door were sleeping 
places, ranged along the walls, like berths in a ship; and 
furnished with pallets of matting. These extended along 
one half of the building; the remaining half was appro¬ 
priated to the storing of dried fish. 

The trading operations of the inhabitants of Wish-ram 
had given them a wider scope of information, and ren¬ 
dered their village a kind of headquarters of intelligence. 
Mr. Hunt was able, therefore, to collect more distinct 
tidings concerning the settlement of Astoria and its af¬ 
fairs. One of the inhabitants had been at the trading 
post established by David Stuart on the Oakinagan, and 
had picked up a few words of English there. From him, 
Mr. Hunt gleaned various particulars about that estab¬ 
lishment, as well as about the general concerns of the 
enterprise. Others repeated the name of Mr. M’Kay, the 
partner who perished in the massacre on board of the 
Tonquin, and gave some account of that melancholy af¬ 
fair. They said Mr. M’Kay was a chief among the white 


ASTORIA. 


444 

men, and had built a great house at the mouth of the 
river, but had left it and sailed away in a large ship to 
the northward where he had been attacked by bad In¬ 
dians in canoes. Mr. Hunt was startled by this intelli¬ 
gence, and made further inquiries. They informed him 
that the Indians had lashed their canoes to the ship, and 
fought until they killed him and all his people. This is 
another instance of the clearness with which intelligence 
is transmitted from mouth to mouth among the Indian 
tribes. These tidings, though but partially credited by 
Mr. Hunt, filled his mind with anxious forebodings. He 
now endeavored to procure canoes, in which to descend 
the Columbia, but none suitable for the purpose were to 
be obtained above the Narrows; he continued on, there¬ 
fore, the distance of twelve miles, and encamped on the 
bank of the river. The camp was soon surrounded by 
loitering savages, who went prowling about seeking what 
they might pilfer. Being baffled by the vigilance of the 
guard, they endeavored to compass their ends by other 
means. Towards evening, a number of warriors entered 
the camp in ruffling style ; painted and dressed out as if 
for battle, and armed with lances, bows and arrows, and 
scalping knives. They informed Mr. Hunt that a party 
of thirty or forty braves were coming up from a village 
below to attack the camp and carry off the horses, but 
that they were determined to stay with him and defend 
him. Mr. Hunt received them with great coldness, and, 
when they had finished their story, gave them a pipe to 


NOTHING BUT SMOKE. 


445 


smoke. He then called up all hands, stationed sentinels 
in different quarters, but told them to keep as vigilant an 
eye within the camp as without. 

The warriors were evidently baffled by these precau¬ 
tions, and, having smoked their pipe, and vapored off 
their valor, took their departure. The farce, however, 
did not end here. After a little while the warriors re¬ 
turned, ushering in another savage, still more heroically 
arrayed. This they announced as the chief of the bellig¬ 
erent village, but as a great pacificator. His people had 
been furiously bent upon the attack, and would have 
doubtless carried it into effect, but this gallant chief had 
stood forth as the friend of white men, and had dispersed 
the throng by his own authority and prowess. Having 
vaunted this signal piece of service, there was a signifi¬ 
cant pause; all evidently expecting some adequate re¬ 
ward. Mr. Hunt again produced the pipe, smoked with 
the chieftain and his worthy compeers ; but made no fur¬ 
ther demonstrations of gratitude. They remained about 
the camp all night, but at daylight returned, baffled and 
crestfallen, to their homes, with nothing but smoke for 
their pains. 

Mr. Hunt now endeavored to procure canoes, of which 
he saw several about the neighborhood, extremely well 
made, with elevated stems and sterns, some of them capa¬ 
ble of carrying three thousand pounds weight. He found 
it extremely difficult, however, to deal with these slip¬ 
pery people, who seemed much more inclined to pilfer. 


ASTORIA. 


44l> 

Notwithstanding a strict guard maintained round the 
camp, various implements were stolen, and several 
horses carried off. Among the latter, we have to include 
the long-cherished steed of Pierre Dorion. From some 
wilful caprice that worthy pitched his tent at some dis¬ 
tance from the main body, and tethered his invaluable 
steed beside it, from whence it was abstracted in the 
night, to the infinite chagrin and mortification of the 
hybrid interpreter. 

Having, after several days’ negotiation, procured the 
requisite number of canoes, Mr. Hunt would gladly have 
left this thievish neighborhood, but was detained until 
the 5th of February by violent head winds, accompanied 
by snow and rain. Even after he was enabled to get 
under way, he had still to struggle against contrary 
winds and tempestuous weather. The current of the 
river, however, was in his favor; having made a portage 
at the grand rapid, the canoes met with no further ob¬ 
struction, and, on the afternoon of the 15th of February, 
swept round an intervening cape, and came in sight of 
the infant settlement of Astoria. After eleven months 
wandering in the wilderness, a great part of the time over 
trackless wastes, where the sight of a savage wigwam was 
a rarity, we may imagine the delight of the poor weather¬ 
beaten travellers, at beholding the embryo establish¬ 
ment, with its magazines, habitations, and picketed bul¬ 
warks, seated on a high point of land, dominating a beau¬ 
tiful little bay, in which was a trim-built shallop riding 


ARRIVAL AT ASTORIA. 


447 


quietly at anchor. A shout of joy burst from each canoe 
at the long-wished-for sight. They urged their canoes 
across the bay, and pulled with eagerness for shore, 
where all hands poured down from the settlement to re¬ 
ceive and welcome them. Among the first to greet them 
on their landing, were some of their old comrades and 
fellow-sufferers, who, under the conduct of Eeed, M’Lel- 
lan, and M’Kenzie, had parted from them at the Caldron 
Linn. These had reached Astoria nearly a month pre¬ 
viously, and, judging from their own narrow escape from 
starvation, had given up Mr. Hunt and his followers as 
lost. Their greeting was the more warm and cordial. 
As to the Canadian voyageurs, their mutual felicitations, 
as usual, were loud and vociferous, and it was almost 
ludicrous to behold these ancient “ comrades ” and “ con¬ 
freres,” hugging and kissing each other on the river 
bank. 

When the first greetings were over, the different bands 
interchanged accounts of their several wanderings, after 
separating at Snake River; we shall briefly notice a few 
of the leading particulars. It will be recollected by the 
reader, that a small exploring detachment had proceeded 
down the river, under the conduct of Mr. John Reed, a 
clerk of the company ; that another had set off under 
M’Lellan, and a third in a different direction, under 
M’Kenzie. After wandering for several days without meet¬ 
ing with Indians, or obtaining any supplies, they came 
together fortuitously among the Snake River mountains, 


448 


ASTORIA. 


some distance below that disasterons pass or strait 
which had received the appellation of the Devil’s Scut¬ 
tle Hole. 

When thus united, their party consisted of M’Kenzie, 
M’Lellan, Reed, and eight men, chiefly Canadians. Be¬ 
ing all in the same predicament, without horses, provi¬ 
sions, or information of any kind, they all agreed that it 
would be worse than useless to return to Mr. Hunt and 
encumber him with so many starving men, and that their 
only course was to extricate themselves as soon as pos¬ 
sible from this land of famine and misery and make the 
best of their way for the Columbia. They accordingly 
continued to follow the downward course of Snake River; 
clambering rocks and mountains, and defying all the dif¬ 
ficulties and dangers of that rugged defile, which subse¬ 
quently, when the snows had fallen, was found impassa¬ 
ble by Messrs. Hunt and Crooks. 

Though constantly near to the borders of the river, and 
for a great part of the time within sight of its current, 
one of their greatest sufferings was thirst The river had 
worn its way in a deep channel through rocky mountains, 
destitute of brooks or springs. Its banks were so high 
and precipitous, that there was rarely any place where 
the travellers could get down to drink of its waters. Fre¬ 
quently they suffered for miles the torments of Tantalus; 
water continually within sight, yet fevered with the most 
parching thirst. Here and there they met with rain¬ 
water collected in the hollows of the rocks, but more 


ADVENTURES. 


449 


than once they were reduced to the utmost extremity; 
and some of the men had recourse to the last expedient 
to avoid perishing. 

Their sufferings from hunger were equally severe. 
They could meet with no game, and subsisted for a time 
on strips of beaver skin, broiled on the coals. These 
were doled out in scanty allowances, barely sufficient to 
keep up existence, and at length failed them altogether. 
Still they crept feebly on, scarce dragging one limb after 
another, until a severe snow-storm brought them to a 
pause. To struggle against it, in their exhausted con¬ 
dition, was impossible, so cowering under an impending 
rock at the foot of a steep mountain, they prepared 
themselves for that wretched fate which seemed inevi¬ 
table. 

At this critical juncture, when famine stared them in 
the face, M’Lellan casting up his eyes, beheld an ahsahta, 
or bighorn, sheltering itself under a shelving rock on the 
side of the hill above them. Being in a more active 
plight than any of his comrades, and an excellent marks¬ 
man, he set off to get within shot of the animal. His 
companions watched his movements with breathless 
anxiety, for their lives depended upon his success. He 
made a cautious circuit; scrambled up the hill with the 
utmost silence, and at length arrived, unperceived, within 
a proper distance. Here leveling his rifle he took so 
sure an aim, that the bighorn fell dead on the spot; a 
fortunate circumstance, for, to pursue it, if merely 
29 


450 


ASTORIA. 


wounded, would have been impossible in bis emaciated 
state. The declivity of the hill enabled him to roll the 
carcass down to his companions, who were too feeble to 
climb the rocks. They fell to work to cut it up; yet ex¬ 
erted a remarkable self-denial for men in their starving 
condition, for they contented themselves for the present 
with a soup made from the bones, reserving the flesh 
for future repasts. This providential relief gave them 
strength to pursue their journey, but they were fre¬ 
quently reduced to almost equal straits, and it was only 
the smallness of their party, requiring a small supply of 
provisions, that enabled them to get through this deso¬ 
late region with their lives. 

At length, after twenty-one days of toil and suffering, 
they got through these mountains, and arrived at a trib¬ 
utary stream of that branch of the Columbia called Lewis 
River, of which Snake River forms the southern fork. 
In this neighborhood they met with wild horses, the first 
they had seen west of the Rocky Mountains. From 
hence they made their way to Lewis River, where they 
fell in with a friendly tribe of Indians, who freely admin¬ 
istered to their necessities. On this river they procured 
two canoes, in which they dropped down the stream to 
its confluence with the Columbia, and then down that 
river to Astoria, where they arrived haggard and emaci¬ 
ated, and perfectly in rags. 

Thus, all the leading persons of Mr. Hunt’s expedition 
were once more gathered together, excepting Mr. Crooks, 


FESTIVAL AT ASTORIA. 


451 


of whose safety they entertained but little hope, consid¬ 
ering the feeble condition in which they had been com¬ 
pelled to leave him in the heart of the wilderness. 

A day was now given up to jubilee, to celebrate the ar¬ 
rival of Mr. Hunt and his companions, and the joyful 
meeting of the various scattered bands of adventurers at 
Astoria. The colors were hoisted; the guns, great and 
small, were fired; there was a feast of fish, of beaver, and 
venison, which relished well with men who had so long 
been glad to revel on horse flesh and dogs’ meat; a genial 
allowance of grog was issued, to increase the general an¬ 
imation, and the festivities wound up, as usual, with a 
grand dance at night, by the Canadian voyageurs.* 

* The distance from St. Louis to Astoria, by the route travelled by 
Hunt and M’Kenzie, was upwards of thirty-five hundred miles, though in 
% direct line it does not exceed eighteen hundred. 


CHAPTER XXXIX. 


SC/am FARE DURING THE WINTER.—A POOR HUNTING GROUND.— THE RETURN 
OF THE FISHING SEASON.—THE UTHLECAN OR SMELT.—ITS QUALITIES.— 
VAST SHOALS OF IT.—STURGEON.—INDIAN MODES OF TAKING IT.—THB 
SALMON.—DIFFERENT SPECIES.—NATURE OF THE COUNTRY ABOUT THE 
COAST.—FORESTS AND FOREST TREES.—A REMARKABLE FLOWERING VINE.— 
ANIMALS.—BIRDS.—REPTILES.—CLIMATE WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS.—MILD¬ 
NESS OF THE TEMPERATURE.—SOIL OF THE COAST AND THE INTERIOR. 

IE winter passed away tranquilly at Astoria. 
The apprehensions of hostility from the natives 
had subsided ; indeed, as the season advanced, 
the Indians for the most part had disappeared from the 
neighborhood, and abandoned the sea-coast, so that, for 
want of their aid, the colonists had at times suffered con¬ 
siderably for want of provisions. The hunters belonging 
to the establishment made frequent and wide excursions, 
but with very moderate success. There was some deer 
and a few bears to be found in the vicinity, and elk in 
great numbers; the country, however, was so rough, and 
the woods so close and entangled that it was almost im¬ 
possible to beat up the game. The prevalent rains of 
winter, also, rendered it difficult for the hunter to keep 
his arms in order. The quantity of game, therefore, 

452 











COLUMBIA RIVER FISHERIES. 


453 


brought in by the hunters was extremely scanty, and it 
was frequently necessary to put all hands on very mod¬ 
erate allowance. Towards spring, however, the fishing 
season commenced—the season of plenty on the Colum¬ 
bia. About the beginning of February, a small kind of 
fish, about six inches long, called by the natives the 
uthlecan, and resembling the smelt, made its appearance 
at the mouth of the river. It is said to be of delicious 
flavor, and so fat as to burn like a candle, for which it is 
often used by the natives. It enters the river in immense 
shoals, like solid columns, often extending to the depth 
of five or more feet, and is scooped up by the natives with 
small nets at the end of poles. In this way they will soon 
fill a canoe, or form a great heap upon the river banks. 
These fish constitute a principal article of their food: the 
women drying them and stringing them on cords. As 
the uthlecan is only found in the lower part of the river, 
the arrival of it soon brought back the natives to the 
coast; who again resorted to the factory to trade, and 
from that time furnished plentiful supplies of fish. 

The sturgeon makes its appearance in the river shortly 
after the uthlecan, and is taken in different ways by the 
natives : sometimes they spear it; but oftener they use 
the hook and line, and the net. Occasionally, they sink 
a cord in the river by a heavy weight, with a buoy at the 
upper end, to keep it floating. To this cord several hooks 
are attached by short lines, a few feet distant from each 
other, and baited with small fish. This apparatus is often 


454 


ASTORIA. 


set towards night, and by the next morning several stur¬ 
geon will be found hooked by it; for though a large and 
strong fish, it makes but little resistance when ensnared. 

The salmon, which are the prime fish of the Columbia, 
and as important to the piscatory tribes as are the buffa¬ 
loes to the hunters of the prairies, do not enter the river 
until towards the latter part of May, from which time, un¬ 
til the middle of August, they abound and are taken in 
vast quantities, either with the spear or seine, and mostly 
in shallow water. An inferior species succeeds, and con¬ 
tinues from August to December. It is remarkable for 
having a double row of teeth, half an inch long and ex¬ 
tremely sharp, from whence it has received the name of 
the dog-toothed salmon. It is generally killed with the 
spear in small rivulets, and smoked for winter provision. 
We have noticed in a former chapter the mode in which 
the salmon are taken and cured at the falls of the Colum¬ 
bia ; and put up in parcels for exportation. From these 
different fisheries of the river tribes, the establishment at 
Astoria had to derive much of its precarious supplies of 
provisions. 

A year’s residence at the mouth of the Columbia, and 
various expeditions in the interior, had now given the 
Astorians some idea of the country. The whole coast is 
described as remarkably rugged and mountainous ; with 
dense forests of hemlock, spruce, white and red cedar, 
cotton-wood, white oak, white and swamp ash, willow, 
and a few walnut. There is likewise an undergrowth of 


ANIMAL PRODUCTIONS . 


455 


aromatic shrubs, creepers, and clambering vines, that 
render the forests almost impenetrable; together with 
berries of various kinds, such as gooseberries, strawber¬ 
ries, raspberries, both red and yellow, very large and 
finely flavored whortleberries, cranberries, serviceberries, 
blackberries, currants, sloes, and wild and choke cherries. 

Among the flowering vines is one deserving of particu¬ 
lar notice. Each flower is composed of six leaves or 
petals, about three inches in length, of a beautiful crim¬ 
son, the inside spotted with white. Its leaves, of a fine 
green, are oval, and disposed by threes. This plant 
climbs upon the trees without attaching itself to them: 
when it has reached the topmost branches, it descends 
perpendicularly, and as it continues to grow, extends 
from tree to tree, until its various stalks interlace the 
grove like the rigging of a ship. The stems or trunks of 
this vine are tougher and more flexible than willow, and 
are from fifty to one hundred fathoms in length. From 
the fibres, the Indians manufacture baskets of such close 
texture as to hold water. 

The principal quadrupeds that had been seen by the 
colonists in their various expeditions were the stag, fal¬ 
low deer, hart, black and grizzly bear, antelope, ahsahta 
or bighorn, beaver, sea and river otter, muskrat, fox, wolf, 
and panther, the latter extremely rare. The only domes¬ 
tic animals among the natives were horses and dogs. 

The country abounded with aquatic and land birds, 
such as swans, wild geese, brant, ducks of almost every 


456 


ASTORIA . 


description, pelicans, herons, gulls, snipes, curlews, 
eagles, vultures, crows, ravens, magpies, woodpeckers, 
pigeons, partridges pheasants, grouse, and a great variety 
of singing birds. 

There were few reptiles; the only dangerous kinds 
were the rattlesnake, and one striped with black, yellow, 
and white, about four feet long. Among the lizard kind 
was one about nine or ten inches in length, exclusive of 
the tail, and three inches in circumference. The tail was 
round, and of the same length as the body. The head 
was triangular, covered with small square scales. The 
upper part of the body was likewise covered with small 
scales, green, yellow, black, and blue. Each foot had five 
toes, furnished with strong nails, probably to aid it in 
burrowing, as it usually lived under ground on the 
plains. 

A remarkable fact, characteristic of the country west oi 
the Kocky Mountains, is the mildness and equability ot 
the climate. The great mountain barrier seems to divide 
the continent into different climates, even in the same 
degrees of latitude. The rigorous winters and sultry 
summers, and all the capricious inequalities of tempera¬ 
ture prevalent on the Atlantic side of the mountains, are 
but little felt on their western declivities. The countries 
between them and the Pacific are blessed with milder 
and steadier temperature, resembling the climates of 
parallel latitudes in Europe. In the plains and valleys 
but little snow falls throughout the winter, and usually 


CLIMATE WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. 


457 


melts while falling. It rarely lies on the ground more 
than two days at a time, except on the summits of the 
mountains. The winters are rainy rather than cold. The 
rains for five months, from the middle of October to the 
middle of March, are almost incessant, and often accom¬ 
panied by tremendous thunder and lightning. The winds 
prevalent at this season are from the south and south¬ 
east, which usually bring rain. Those from the north to 
the southwest are the harbingers of fair weather and a 
clear sky. The residue of the year, from the middle of 
March to the middle of October, an interval of seven 
months, is serene and delightful. There is scarcely any 
rain throughout this time, yet the face of the country is 
kept fresh and verdant by nightly dews, and occasionally 
by humid fogs in the mornings. These are not consid¬ 
ered prejudicial to health, since both the natives and the 
whites sleep in the open air with perfect impunity. 
While this equable and bland temperature prevails 
throughout the lower country, the peaks and ridges of 
the vast mountains by which it is dominated, are covered 
with perpetual snow. This renders them discernible at 
a great distance, shining at times like bright summer 
clouds, at other times assuming the most aerial tints, and 
always forming brilliant and striking features in the vast 
landscape. The mild temperature prevalent throughout 
the country is attributed by some to the succession of 
winds from the Pacific Ocean, extending from latitude 
twenty degrees to at least fifty degrees north. These 


458 


ASTORIA . 


temper the heat of summer, so that in the shade no one 
is incommoded by perspiration ; they also soften the rig¬ 
ors of winter, and produce such a moderation in the cli¬ 
mate, that the inhabitants can wear the same dress 
throughout the year. 

The soil in the neighborhood of the sea-coast is of a 
brown color, inclining to red, and generally poor; being 
a mixture of clay and gravel. In the interior, and espe¬ 
cially in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, the soil is 
generally blackish, though sometimes yellow. It is fre¬ 
quently mixed with marl, and with marine substances in 
a state of decomposition. This kind of soil extends to a 
considerable depth, as may be perceived in the deep cuts 
made by ravines, and by the beds of rivers. The vegeta¬ 
tion in these valleys is much more abundant than near 
the coast; in fact, it is in these fertile intervals, locked 
up between rocky sierras, or scooped out from barren 
wastes, that population must extend itself, as it were, in 
veins and ramifications, if ever the regions beyond the 
mountains should become civilized. 


CHAPTER XL. 


HATITES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ASTORIA.—THEIR PERSONS AND CHARAO 
TERISTICS.—CAUSES OF DEFORMITY.—THEIR DRESS.—THEIR CONTEMPT OF 
HEARDS. —ORNAMENTS.—ARMOR AND WEAPONS.—MODE OF FLATTENING THE 
HEAD.—EXTENT OF THE CUSTOM.—RELIGIOUS BELIEF.—THE TWO GREAT 
SPIRITS OF THE AIR AND OF THE FIRE.—PRIESTS OR MEDICINE MEN.—THE 
RIVAL IDOLS.—POLYGAMY A CAUSE OF GREATNESS.—PETTY WARFARE.— 
MUSIC, DANCING, GAMBLING.—THIEVING A VIRTUE.—KEEN TRADERS.—IN¬ 
TRUSIVE HABITS.—ABHORRENCE OF DRUNKENNESS.—ANECDOTE OF COM- 
COMLY. 


BRIEF mention has already been made of the 
tribes or hordes existing about the lower part of 
the Columbia at the time of the settlement; a 
few more particulars concerning them may be acceptable. 
The four tribes nearest to Astoria, and with whom the 
traders had most intercourse, were, as has heretofore 
been observed, the Chinooks, the Clatsops, the Wahkia- 
cums, and the Cathlamets. The Chinooks reside chiefly 
along the banks of a river of the same name, running par¬ 
allel to the sea-coast, through a low country studded with 
stagnant pools, and emptying itself into Baker’s Bay, a 
few miles from Cape Disappointment. This was the tribe 
over which Comcomly, the one-eyed chieftain, held sway; 
it boasted two hundred and fourteen fighting men. Their 

459 












460 


ASTORIA. 


chief subsistence was on fish, with an occasional regale of 
the flesh of elk and deer, and of wild-fowl from the neigh¬ 
boring ponds. 

The Clatsops resided on both sides of Point Adams; 
they were the mere relics of a tribe which had been 
nearly swept off by the small-pox, and did not number 
more than one hundred and eighty fighting men. 

The Wahkiacums, or Waak-i-cums, inhabited the north 
side of the Columbia, and numbered sixty-six warriors. 
They and the Chinooks were originally the same; but a 
dispute arising about two generations previous to the 
time of the settlement, between the ruling chief and his 
brother Wahkiacum, the latter seceded, and with his ad¬ 
herents formed the present horde which continues to go 
by his name. In this way new tribes or clans are formed, 
and lurking causes of hostility engendered. 

The Cathlamets lived opposite to the lower village of 
the Wahkiacums, and numbered ninety-four warriors. 

These four tribes, or rather clans, have every appear¬ 
ance of springing from the same origin, resembling each 
other in person, dress, language, and manners. They ara 
rather a diminutive race, generally below five feet five 
inches, with crooked legs and thick ankles—a deformity 
caused by their passing so much of their time sitting or 
squatting upon the calves of their legs and their heels, in 
the bottom of their canoes—a favorite position, which 
they retain, even when on shore. The women increase 
the deformity by wearing tight bandages round the an- 


DUES8 OF THE NATIVES. 


461 


kies, which prevent the circulation of the blood, and 
causes a swelling of the muscles of the leg. 

Neither sex can boast of personal beauty. Their faces 
are round, with small but animated eyes. Their noses 
are broad and flat at top, and fleshy at the end, with large 
nostrils. They have wide mouths, thick lips, and short, 
irregular and dirty teeth. Indeed good teeth are seldom 
to be seen among the tribes west of the Rocky Mountains, 
who live simply on fish. 

In the early stages of their intercourse with white men, 
these savages were but scantily clad. In summer time 
the men went entirely naked; in the winter and in bad 
weather the men wore a small robe, reaching to the mid¬ 
dle of the thigh, made of the skins of animals, or of the 
wool of the mountain sheep. Occasionally, they wore a 
kind of mantle of matting, to keep off the rain; but, hav¬ 
ing thus protected the back and shoulders, they left the 
rest of the body naked. 

The women wore similar robes, though shorter, not 
reaching below the waist; beside which, they had a kind 
of petticoat, or fringe, reaching from the waist to the 
knee, formed of the fibres of cedar bark, broken into 
strands, or a tissue of silk grass twisted and knotted at 
the ends. This was the usual dress of the women in sum¬ 
mer ; should the weather be inclement, they added a vest 
of skins, similar to the robe. 

The men carefully eradicated every vestige of a beard, 
considering it a great deformity- They looked with dis* 


462 


ASTORIA. 


gust at the whiskers and well-furnished chins of ths 
white men, and in derision called them Long-beards. 
Both sexes, on the other hand, cherished the hair of the 
head, which with them is generally black and rather 
coarse. They allowed it to grow to a great length and 
were very proud and careful of it, sometimes wearing it 
plaited, sometimes wound round the head in fanciful 
tresses. No greater affront could be offered to them than 
to cut off their treasured locks. 

They had conical hats with narrow rims, neatly woven 
of bear grass or of the fibres of cedar bark, interwoven 
with designs of various shapes and colors; sometimes 
merely squares and triangles, at other times rude repre¬ 
sentations of canoes, with men fishing and harpooning. 
These hats were nearly waterproof, and extremely du¬ 
rable. 

The favorite ornaments of the men were collars of 
bears’ claws, the proud trophies of hunting exploits' 
while the women and children wore similar decorations 
of elks’ tusks. An intercourse with the white traders, 
however, soon effected a change in the toilets of both 
sexes. They became fond of arraying themselves in any 
article of civilized dress which they could procure, and 
often made a most grotesque appearance. They adapted 
many articles of finery, also, to their own previous tastes. 
Both sexes were fond of adorning themselves with brace¬ 
lets of iron, brass, or copper. They were delighted, also, 
with blue and white beads, particularly the former, and 


THEIR PECULIAR DEFORMITY 


463 


wore broad tight bands of them round the waist and an¬ 
kles, large rolls of them round the neck, and pendants of 
them in the ears. The men, especially, who in savage 
life carry a passion for personal decoration further than 
the females, did not think their gala equipments com- 
plete unless they had a jewel of haiqua, or wampum, 
dangling at the nose. Thus arrayed, their hair be¬ 
smeared with fish oil, and their bodies bedaubed with 
red clay, they considered themselves irresistible. 

When on warlike expeditions, they painted their faces 
and bodies in the most hideous and grotesque manner, 
according to the universal practice of American savages. 
Their arms were bows and arrows, spears, and war clubs. 
Some wore a corselet, formed of pieces of hard wood 
laced together with bear grass, so as to form a light coat 
of mail, pliant to the body ; and a kind of casque of cedar 
bark, leather, and bear grass, sufficient to protect the 
head from an arrow or war club. A more complete arti¬ 
cle of defensive armor was a buff jerkin or shirt of great 
thickness, made of doublings of elk skin, and reaching to 
the feet, holes being left for the head and arms. This 
was perfectly arrowproof; add to which, it was often en¬ 
dowed with charmed virtues, by the spells and mystic 
ceremonials of the medicine man, or conjurer. 

Of the peculiar custom, prevalent among these people, 
of flattening the head, we have already spoken. It is 
one of those instances of human caprice, like the crip¬ 
pling of the feet of females in China, which are quite 


464 


ASTORIA. 


incomprehensible. This custom prevails principally 
among the tribes on the sea-coast, and about the lower 
parts of the rivers. How far it extends along the coast 
we are not able to ascertain. Some of the tribes, both 
north and south of the Columbia, practice it; but they 
all speak the Chinook language, and probably originated 
from the same stock. As far as we can learn, the re¬ 
moter tribes, which speak an entirely different language, 
do not flatten the head. This absurd custom declines, 
also, in receding from the shores of the Pacific; few 
traces of it are to be found among the tribes of the 
Bockv Mountains, and after crossing the mountains it 
disappears altogether. Those Indians, therefore, about 
the head waters of the Columbia, and in the solitary 
mountain regions, who are often called Flatheads, must 
not be supposed to be characterized by this deformity. 
It is an appellation often given by the hunters east of 
the mountain chain, to all the western Indians, excepting 
the Snakes. 

The religious belief of these people was extremely 
limited and confined; or rather, in all probability, their 
explanations were but little understood by their visitors. 
They had an idea of a benevolent and omnipotent spirit, 
the creator of all things. They represent him as assum¬ 
ing various shapes at pleasure, but generally that of an 
immense bird. He usually inhabits the sun, but occasion¬ 
ally wings his way through the aerial regions, and sees 
all that is doing upon earth. Should anything displease 


MEDICINE MEN 


465 


him, he vents his wrath in terrific storms and tempests, 
the lightning being the flashes of his eyes, and the thun¬ 
der the clapping of his wings. To propitiate his favor 
they offer to him annual sacrifices of salmon and venison, 
the first fruits of their fishing and hunting. 

Beside this aerial spirit they believe in an inferior one, 
who inhabits the fire, and of whom they are in perpetual 
dread, as, though he possesses equally the power of good 
and evil, the evil is apt to predominate. They endeavor, 
therefore, to keep him in good humor by frequent offer¬ 
ings. He is supposed also to have great influence with 
the winged spirit, their sovereign protector and benefac¬ 
tor. They implore him, therefore, to act as their inter¬ 
preter, and procure them all desirable things, such as 
success in fishing and hunting, abundance of game, fleet 
horses, obedient wives, and male children. 

These Indians have likewise their priests, or conjurers, 
or medicine men, who pretend to be in the confidence of 
the deities, and the expounders and enforcers of their 
will. Each of these medicine men has his idols carved 
in wood, representing the spirits of the air and of the 
fire, under some rude and grotesque form of a horse, a 
bear, a beaver, or other quadruped, or that of bird or 
fish. These idols are hung round with amulets and 
votive offerings, such as beavers’ teeth, and bears’ and 
eagles’ claws. 

"When any chief personage is on his death-bed, or dan¬ 
gerously ill, the medicine men are sent for. Each brings 
30 


466 


ASTORIA . 


with him his idols, with which he retires into a canoe to 
hold a consultation. As doctors are prone to disagree, 
so these medicine men have now and then a violent alter¬ 
cation as to the malady of the patient, or the treatment 
of it. To settle this they beat their idols soundly against 
each other; whichever first loses a tooth or a claw is 
considered as confuted, and his votary retires from the 
field. 

Polygamy is not only allowed, but considered honora¬ 
ble, and the greater number of wives a man can main¬ 
tain, the more important is he in the eyes of the tribe. 
The first wife, however, takes rank of all the others, and 
is considered mistress of the house. Still the domestic 
establishment is liable to jealousies and cabals, and the 
lord and master has much difficulty in maintaining har¬ 
mony in his jangling household. 

In the manuscript from which we draw many of these 
particulars, it is stated that he who exceeds his neighbors 
in the number of his wives, male children, and slaves, is 
elected chief of the village ; a title to office which we do 
not recollect ever before to have met with. 

Feuds are frequent among these tribes, but are not 
very deadly. They have occasionally pitched battles, 
fought on appointed days, and at specific places, which 
are generally the banks of a rivulet. The adverse parties 
post themselves on the opposite sides of the stream, and 
at such distances that the battles often last a long while 
before any blood is shed. The number of killed and 


AMUSEMENTS. 


467 


wounded seldom exceed half a dozen. Should the dam¬ 
age be equal on each side, the war is considered as hon¬ 
orably concluded; should one party lose more than the 
other, it is entitled to a compensation in slaves or other 
property, otherwise hostilities are liable to be renewed at 
a future day. They are much given also to predatory in¬ 
roads into the territories of their enemies, and sometimes 
of their friendly neighbors. Should they fall upon a 
band of inferior force, or upon a village, weakly defended, 
they act with the ferocity of true poltroons, slaying all 
the men, and carrying off the women and children as 
slaves. As to the property, it is packed upon horses 
which they bring with them for the purpose. They are 
mean and paltry as warriors, and altogether inferior in 
heroic qualities to the savages of the buffalo plains on 
the east side of the mountains. 

A great portion of their time is passed in revelry, 
music, dancing, and gambling. Their music scarcely 
deserves the name; the instruments being of the rudest 
kind. Their singing is harsh and discordant; the songs 
are chiefly extempore, relating to passing circumstances, 
the persons present, or any trifling object that strikes the 
attention of the singer. They have several kinds of 
dances, some of them lively and pleasing. The women 
are rarely permitted to dance with the men, but form 
groups apart, dancing to the same instrument and song. 

They have a great passion for play, and a variety of 
games. To such a pitch of excitement are they some- 


468 


ASTORIA. 


times roused, that they gamble away everything they 
possess, even to their wives and children. They are 
notorious thieves, also, and proud of their dexterity. 
He who is frequently successful, gains much applause 
and popularity ; but the clumsy thief, who is detected in 
some bungling attempt, is scoffed at and despised, and 
sometimes severely punished. 

Such are a few leading characteristics of the natives in 
the neighborhood of Astoria. They appear to us inferior 
in many respects to the tribes east of the mountains, the 
bold rovers of the prairies ; and to partake much of the 
Esquimaux character; elevated in some degree by a more 
genial climate, and more varied style of living. 

The habits of traffic engendered at the cataracts of the 
Columbia, have had their influence along the coast. The 
Chinooks and other Indians at the mouth of the river, 
soon proved themselves keen traders, and in their early 
dealings with the Astorians never hesitated to ask three 
times what they considered the real value of an article. 
They were inquisitive, also, in the extreme, and imperti¬ 
nently intrusive; and were prone to indulge in scoffing 
and ridicule at the expense of the strangers. 

In one thing, however, they showed superior judgment 
and self-command to most of their race ; this was, in 
their abstinence from ardent spirits, and the abhorrence 
and disgust with which they regarded a drunkard. On 
one occasion, a son of Comcomly had been induced to 
drink freely at the factory, and went home in a state of 


ABHORRENCE OF DRUNKENNESS. 


469 


intoxication, playing all kinds of mad pranks, until lie 
sank into a stupor, in which he remained for two days. 
The old chieftain repaired to his friend, M’Dougal, with 
indignation flaming in his countenance, and bitterly re¬ 
proached him for having permitted his son to degrade 
himself into a beast, and to render himself an object of 
scorn and laughter to his slave. 


CHAPTER XLL 


SPUING ARRANGEMENTS AT ASTORIA.—VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS SET OUT.~= 
THE LONG NARROWS.—PILFERING INDIANS.—THIEVISH TRIBE AT WISH 
RAM.—PORTAGE AT THE FALLS.—PORTAGE BY MOONLIGHT.—AN ATTACK, A 
ROUTE, AND A ROBBERY.—INDIAN CURE FOR COWARDICE.—A PARLEY AND 
COMPROMISE.—THE DESPATCH PARTY TURN BACK.—MEET CROOKS AND JOHN 
DAY.—THEIR SUFFERINGS.—INDIAN PERFIDY.—ARRIVAL AT ASTORIA. 


the spring opened, the little settlement of As- 
toria was in agitation, and prepared to send 
forth various expeditions. Several important 
things were to be done. It was necessary to send a sup¬ 
ply of goods to the trading post of Mr. David Stuart, es¬ 
tablished in the preceding autumn on the Oakinagan. 
The cache, or secret deposit, made by Mr. Hunt at the 
Caldron Linn, was likewise to be visited, and the mer¬ 
chandise and other effects left there, to be brought to 
Astoria. A third object of moment was to send de¬ 
spatches overland to Mr. Astor at New York, informing 
him of the state of affairs at the settlement, and the for¬ 
tunes of the several expeditions. 

The task of carrying supplies to Oakinagan was as¬ 
signed to Mr. Robert Stuart, a spirited and enterprising 
young man, nephew to the one who had established the 

470 








VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS SET OUT. 


471 


post. The cache was to be sought out by two of the 
clerks, named Russell Farnham and Donald M’Gilles, 
conducted by a guide, and accompanied by eight men, to 
assist in bringing home the goods. 

As to the despatches, they were confided to Mr. John 
Reed, the clerk, the same who had conducted one of the 
exploring detachments of Snake River. He was now to 
trace back his way across the mountains by the same 
route by which he had come, with no other companions 
or escort than Ben Jones, the Kentucky hunter, and two 
Canadians. As it was still hoped that Mr. Crooks might 
be in existence, and that Mr. Reed and his party might 
meet with him in the course of their route, they were 
charged with a small supply of goods and provisions, to 
aid that gentleman on his way to Astoria. 

When the expedition of Reed was made known, Mr. 
M’Lellan announced his determination to accompany it. 
He had long been dissatisfied with the smallness of his 
interest in the copartnership, and had requested an ad¬ 
ditional number of shares; his request not being com¬ 
plied with, he resolved to abandon the company. 
M’Lellan was a man of a singularly self-willed and de¬ 
cided character, with whom persuasion was useless ; he 
was permitted, therefore, to take his own course without 
opposition. 

As to Reed, he set about preparing for his hazardous 
journey with the zeal of a true Irishman. He had a tin 
case made, in which the letters and papers addressed to 


472 


ASTORIA. 


Mr. Astor were carefully soldered up. This case he in¬ 
tended to strap upon his shoulders, so as to bear it about 
with him, sleeping and waking, in all changes and 
chances, by land or by water, and never to part with it 
but with his life ! 

As the route of these several parties would be the same 
for nearly four hundred miles up the Columbia, and 
within that distance would lie through the piratical pass 
of the rapids, and among the freebooting tribes of the 
river, it was thought advisable to start about the same 
time, and to keep together. Accordingly, on the 22d of 
March, they all set off, to the number of seventeen men, 
in two canoes—and here we cannot but pause to notice 
the hardihood of these several expeditions, so insignifi¬ 
cant in point of force, and severally destined to traverse 
immense wildernesses, where larger parties had experi¬ 
enced so much danger and distress. When recruits were 
sought in the preceding year among experienced hunters 
and voyageurs at Montreal and St. Louis, it was consid¬ 
ered dangerous to attempt to cross the Rocky Mountains 
with less than sixty men; and yet here we find Reed 
ready to push his way across those barriers with merely 
three companions. Such is the fearlessness, the insensi¬ 
bility to danger, which men acquire by the habitude of 
constant risk. The mind, like the body, becomes callous 
by exposure. 

The little associated band proceeded up the river, un¬ 
der the command of Mr. Robert Stuart, and arrived early 


THE PIRATICAL PASS. 


473 


in the month of April at the Long Narrows, that noto¬ 
rious plundering place. Here it was necessary to unload 
the canoes, and to transport both them and their cargoes 
to the head of the Narrows by land. Their party was 
too few in number for the purpose. They were obliged, 
therefore, to seek the assistance of the Cathlasco Indians, 
who undertook to carry the goods on their horses. For¬ 
ward then they set, the Indians with their horses well 
freighted, and the first load convoyed by Reed and five 
men, well armed; the gallant Irishman striding along at 
the head, with his tin case of despatches glittering on his 
back. In passing, however, through a rocky and intri¬ 
cate defile, some of the freebooting vagrants turned their 
horses up a narrow path and galloped off, carrying with 
them two bales of goods, and a number of smaller arti¬ 
cles. To follow them was useless; indeed, it was with 
much ado that the convoy got into port with the residue 
of the cargoes; for some of the guards were pillaged of 
their knives and pocket handkerchiefs, and the lustrous 
tin case of Mr. John Reed was in imminent jeopardy. 

Mr. Stuart heard of these depredations, and hastened 
forward to the relief of the convoy, but could not reach 
them before dusk, by which time they had arrived at the 
village of Wish-ram, already noted for its great fishery, 
and the knavish propensities of its inhabitants. Here 
they found themselves benighted in a strange place, and 
surrounded by savages bent on pilfering, if not upon 
open robbery. Not knowing what active course to take, 


474 


ASTORIA . 


they remained, under arms all night, without closing an 
eye, and at the very first peep of dawn, when objects 
were yet scarce visible, everything was hastily embarked, 
and, without seeking to recover the stolen effects, they 
pushed off from shore, “ glad to bid adieu,” as they said, 
“ to this abominable nest of miscreants.” 

The worthies of Wish-ram, however, were not disposed 
to part so easily with their visitors. Their cupidity had 
been quickened by the plunder which they had already 
taken, and their confidence increased by the impunity 
with which their outrage had passed. They resolved, 
therefore, to take further toll of the travellers, and, if 
possible, to capture the tin case of despatches; which 
shining conspicuously from afar, and being guarded by 
John Reed with such especial care, must, as they sup¬ 
posed, be “ a great medicine.” 

Accordingly, Mr. Stuart and his comrades had not pro¬ 
ceeded far in the canoes, when they beheld the whole 
rabble of Wish-ram stringing in groups along the bank, 
whooping and yelling, and gibbering in their wild jargon, 
and when they landed below the falls, they were sur¬ 
rounded by upwards of four hundred of these river ruf¬ 
fians, armed with bows and arrows, war clubs, and other 
savage weapons. These now pressed forward, with offers 
to carry the canoes and effects up the portage. Mr. Stu¬ 
art declined forwarding the goods, alleging the lateness 
of the hour; but, to keep them in good humor, informed 
them, that, if they conducted themselves well, their of- 


PORTAGE BY MOONLIGHT. 


475 


fered services might probably be accepted in the morn¬ 
ing; in the meanwhile, he suggested that they might 
carry up the canoes. They accordingly set off with the 
two canoes on their shoulders, accompanied by a guard 
of eight men well armed. 

When arrived at the head of the falls, the mischievous 
spirit of the savages broke out, and they were on the 
point of destroying the canoes, doubtless with a view to 
impede the white men from carrying forward their 
goods, and laying them open to further pilfering. They 
were with some difficulty prevented from committing this 
outrage by the interference of an old man, who appeared 
to have authority among them ; and, in consequence of 
his harangue, the whole of the hostile band, with the ex¬ 
ception of about fifty, crossed to the north side of the 
river, where they lay in wait, ready for further mischief. 

In the meantime, Mr. Stuart, who had remained at the 
foot of the falls with the goods, and who knew that the 
proffered assistance of the savages was only for the pur¬ 
pose of having an opportunity to plunder, determined, if 
possible, to steal a march upon them, and defeat their 
machinations. In the dead of the night, therefore, about 
one o’clock, the moon shining brightly, he roused his 
party, and proposed that they should endeavor to trans¬ 
port the goods themselves, above the falls, before the 
sleeping savages could be aware of their operations. All 
hands sprang to the work with zeal, and hurried it on in 
the hope of getting all over before daylight. Mr. Stuart 


476 


ASTORIA. 


went forward with the first loads, and took his station at 
the head of the portage, while Mr. Reed and Mr. M’Lel- 
lan remained at the foot to forward the remainder. 

The day dawned before the transportation was com¬ 
pleted. Some of the fifty Indians who had remained on 
the south side of the river, perceived what was going on, 
and, feeling themselves too weak for an attack, gave the 
alarm to those on the opposite side, upwards of a hun¬ 
dred of whom embarked in several large canoes. Two 
loads of goods yet remained to be brought up. Mr. 
Stuart despatched some of the people for one of the 
loads, with a request to Mr. Reed to retain with him as 
many of the men as he thought necessary to guard the 
remaining load, as he suspected hostile intentions on the 
part of the Indians. Mr. Reed, however, refused to re¬ 
tain any of them, saying that M’Lellan and himself were 
sufficient to protect the small quantity that remained. 
The men accordingly departed with the load, while Mr. 
Reed and M’Lellan continued to mount guard over the 
residue. By this time, a number of the canoes had ar¬ 
rived from the opposite side. As they approached the 
shore, the unlucky tin box of John Reed, shining afar 
like the brilliant helmet of Euryalus, caught their eyes. 
No sooner did the canoes touch the shore, than they 
leaped forward on the rocks, set up a war-whoop, and 
sprang forward to secure the glittering prize. Mr. 
M’Lellan, who was at the river bank, advanced to guard 
the goods, when one of the savages attempted to hood* 


REED AND M’LELLAN ATTACKED. 


477 


wink him with his buffalo robe with one hand, and to 
stab him with the other. M’Lellan sprang back just far 
enough to avoid the blow, and raising his rifle, shot the 
ruffian through the heart. 

In the meantime, Reed, who with the want of fore¬ 
thought of an Irishman, had neglected to remove the 
leathern cover from the lock of his rifle, was fumbling at 
the fastenings, when he received a blow on the head with 
a war club that laid him senseless on the ground. In a 
twinkling he was stripped of his rifle and pistols, and the 
tin box, the cause of all this onslaught, was borne off in 
triumph. 

At this critical juncture, Mr. Stuart, who had heard the 
war-whoop, hastened to the scene of action with Ben 
Jones, and seven others of the men. When he arrived, 
Reed was weltering in his blood, and an Indian standing 
over him and about to despatch him with a tomahawk. 
Stuart gave the word, when Ben Jones leveled his rifle, 
and shot the miscreant on the spot. The men then gave 
a cheer, and charged upon the main body of the savages, 
who took to instant flight. Reed was now raised from 
the ground, and borne senseless and bleeding to the up¬ 
per end of the portage. Preparations were made to 
launch the canoes and embark in all haste, when it was 
found that they were too leaky to be put in the water, 
and that the oars had been left at the foot of the falls. 
A scene of confusion now ensued. The Indians were 
whooping and yelling, and running about like fiends. A 


478 


ASTORIA. 


panic seized upon the men, at being thus suddenly- 
checked, the hearts of some of the Canadians died within 
them, and two young men actually fainted away. The 
moment they recovered their senses, Mr. Stuart ordered 
that they should be deprived of their arms, their under 
garments taken off, and that a piece of cloth should be 
tied round their waists, in imitation of a squaw; an Indian 
punishment for cowardice. Thus equipped, they were 
stowed away among the goods in one of the canoes. This 
ludicrous affair excited the mirth of the bolder spirits, 
even in the midst of their perils, and roused the pride of 
the wavering. The Indians having crossed back again 
to the north side, order was restored, some of the hands 
were sent back for the oars, others set to work to calk 
and launch the canoes, and in a little while all were em¬ 
barked and were continuing their voyage along the 
southern shore. 

No sooner had they departed, than the Indians re^ 
turned to the scene of action, bore off their two comrades 
who had been shot, one of whom was still living, and re¬ 
turned to their village. Here they killed two horses; and 
drank the hot blood to give fierceness to their courage. 
They painted and arrayed themselves hideously for bat¬ 
tle ; performed the dead dance round the slain, and raised 
the war song of vengeance. Then mounting their horses, 
to the number of four hundred and fifty men, and bran¬ 
dishing their weapons, they set off along the northern 
bank of the river, to get ahead of the oanoes, lie in 


AN INDIAN AMBUSH. 


479 


wait for them, and take a terrible revenge on the white 
men. 

They succeeded in getting some distance above the 
canoes without being discovered, and were crossing the 
river to post themselves on the side along which the 
white men were coasting, when they were fortunately 
descried. Mr. Stuart and his companions were imme¬ 
diately on the alert. As they drew near to the place 
where the savages had crossed, they observed them 
posted among steep and overhanging rocks, close along 
which, the canoes would have to pass. Finding that the 
enemy had the advantage of the ground, the whites 
stopped short when within five hundred yards of them, 
and discharged and reloaded their pieces. They then 
made a fire, and dressed the wounds of Mr. Reed, who 
had received five severe gashes in the head. This being 
done, they lashed the canoes together, fastened them to a 
rock at a small distance from the shore, and there 
awaited the menaced attack. 

They had not been long posted in this manner, when 
they saw a canoe approaching. It contained the war- 
chief of the tribe, and three of his principal warriors. 
He drew near, and made a long harangue, in which he 
informed them that they had killed one and wounded an¬ 
other of his nation; that the relations of the slain cried 
out for vengeance, and he had been compelled to lead 
them to fight. Still he wished to spare unnecessary 
bloodshed; he proposed, therefore, that Mr. Reed, who. 


480 


ASTORIA. 


lie observed, was little better than a dead man, might be 
given up to be sacrificed to the manes of the deceased 
warrior. This would appease the fury of bis friends; 
the batcbet would then be buried, and all thenceforward 
would be friends. The answer was a stern refusal and 
a defiance, and the war-chief saw that the canoes were 
well prepared for a vigorous defense. He withdrew, 
therefore, and returning to his warriors among the rocks 
held long deliberations. Blood for blood is a principle 
in Indian equity and Indian honor; but though the in¬ 
habitants of Wish-ram were men of war, they were like¬ 
wise men of traffic, and it was suggested that honor for 
once might give way to profit. A negotiation was ac¬ 
cordingly opened with the white men, and after some 
diplomacy, the matter was compromised for a blanket to 
cover the dead, and some tobacco to be smoked by the 
living. This being granted, the heroes of Wish-ram 
crossed the river once more, returned to their villages to 
feast upon the horses whose blood they had so vainglo- 
riously drunk, and the travellers pursued their voyage 
without further molestation. 

The tin case, however, containing the important de¬ 
spatches for New York, was irretrievably lost; the very 
precaution taken by the worthy Hibernian to secure his 
missives, had, by rendering them conspicuous, produced 
their robbery. The object of his overland journey, there¬ 
fore, being defeated, he gave up the expedition. The 
whole party repaired with Mr. Robert Stuart to tne 


MEETING WITH CROOKS AND DAY. 


481 


establishment of Mr. David Stuart, on the Oakinagan 
Biver. After remaining here two or three days, they all 
set out on their return to Astoria, accompanied by Mr. 
David Stuart. This gentleman had a large quantity of 
beaver skins at his establishment, but did not think it 
prudent to take them with him, fearing the levy of 
“ black mail ” at the falls. 

On their way down, when below the forks of the 
Columbia, they were hailed one day from the shore in 
English. Looking around, they descried two wretched 
men, entirely naked. They pulled to shore; the men 
came up and made themselves known. They proved to 
be Mr. Crooks and his faithful follower, John Day. 

The reader will recollect that Mr. Crooks, with Day 
and four Canadians, had been so reduced by famine and 
fatigue, that Mr. Hunt was obliged to leave them, in the 
month of December, on the banks of the Snake Biver. 
Their situation was the more critical, as they were in the 
neighborhood of a band of Shoshonies, whose horses had 
been forcibly seized by Mr. Hunt’s party for provisions. 
Mr. Crooks remained here twenty days, detained by the 
extremely reduced state of John Day, who was utterly 
unable to travel, and whom he would not abandon, as 
Day had been in his employ on the Missouri, and had 
always proved himself most faithful. Fortunately the 
Shoshonies did not offer to molest them. They had 
never before seen white men, and seemed to entertain 
gome superstitions with regard to them, for though they 
31 


482 


ASTORIA. 


would encamp near them in the daytime, they would 
move off with their tents in the night; and finally dis¬ 
appeared, without taking leave. 

When Day was sufficiently recovered to travel, they 
kept feebly on, sustaining themselves as well as they 
could, until in the month of February, when three of the 
Canadians, fearful of perishing with want, left Mr. Crooks 
on a small river, on the road by which Mr. Hunt had 
passed in quest of Indians. Mr. Crooks followed Mr. 
Hunt’s track in the snow for several days, sleeping as 
usual in the open air, and suffering all kinds of hard¬ 
ships. At length, coming to a low prairie, he lost every 
appearance of the “ trail,” and wandered during the re¬ 
mainder of the winter in the mountains, subsisting some¬ 
times on horse meat, sometimes on beavers and their 
skins, and a part of the time on roots. 

About the last of March, the other Canadian gave out 
and was left with a lodge of Slioslionies ; but Mr. Crooks 
and John Day still kept on, and finding the snow suffi¬ 
ciently diminished, undertook, from Indian information, to 
cross the last mountain ridge. They happily succeeded, 
and afterwards fell in with the Wallah-Wallahs, a tribe of 
Indians inhabiting the banks of a river of the same name, 
and reputed as being frank, hospitable, and sincere. 
They proved worthy of the character, for they received 
the poor wanderers kindly, killed a horse for them to eat, 
and directed them on their way to the Columbia. They 
struck the river about the middle of April, and advanced 


SUFFERINGS OF MR. CROOKS. 


483 


down it one hundred miles, until they came within about 
twenty miles of the falls. 

Here they met with some of the “ chivalry ” of that 
noted pass, who received them in a friendly way, and set 
food before them; but, while they were satisfying their 
hunger, perfidiously seized their rifles. They then 
stripped them naked, and drove them off, refusing the 
entreaties of Mr. Crooks for a flint and steel of which 
they had robbed him; and threatening his life if he did 
not instantly depart. 

In this forlorn plight, still worse off than before, they 
renewed their wanderings. They now sought to find their 
way back to the hospitable Wallah-Wallahs, and had ad¬ 
vanced eighty miles along the river, when fortunately, on 
the very morning that they were going to leave the Co¬ 
lumbia and strike inland, the canoes of Mr. Stuart hove 
in sight. 

It is needless to describe the joy of these poor men at 
once more finding themselves among countrymen and 
friends, or of the honest and hearty welcome with which 
they were received by their fellow adventurers. The 
whole party now continued down the river, passed all the 
dangerous places without interruption, and arrived safely 
at Astoria on the 11th of May. 


CHAPTER XLH. 


COMPREHENSIVE VIEWS.—TO SUPPLY THE RUSSIAN FUR ESTABLISHMENT.—AN 
AGENT SENT TO RUSSIA.—PROJECT OF AN ANNUAL SHIP.—THE BEAVER 
FITTED OUT.—HER EQUIPMENT AND CREW.—INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CAP¬ 
TAIN.—THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.—RUMORS OF THE FATE OF THE TONQUIN.— 
PRECAUTIONS ON REACHING THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA. 

■ AYING traced the fortunes of the two expedi¬ 
tions by sea and land to the mouth of the Co¬ 
lumbia, and presented a view of affairs at As¬ 
toria, we will return for a moment to the master spirit of 
the enterprise, who regulated the springs of Astoria, at 
his residence in New York. 

It will be remembered, that a part of the plan of Mr. 
Astor was to furnish the Russian fur establishment on the 
northwest coast with regular supplies, so as to render it 
independent of those casual vessels which cut up the 
trade and supplied the natives with arms. This plan had 
been countenanced by our own government, and likewise 
by Count Pahlen, the Russian minister at Washington. 
As its views, however, were important and extensive, and 
might eventually affect a wide course of commerce, Mr. 
Astor was desirous of establishing a complete arrange¬ 
ment on the subject with the Russian American Fur Corn- 

484 










FITTING OUT THE BEAVER. 


485 


pany, under the sanction of the Eussian government. For 
this purpose, in March, 1811, he despatched a confidential 
agent to St. Petersburg, fully empowered to enter into 
the requisite negotiations. A passage was given to this 
gentleman by the government of the United States, in 
the John Adams, one of its armed vessels, bound to a 
European port. 

The next step of Mr. Astor was, to despatch the annual 
ship contemplated on his general plan. He had as yet 
heard nothing of the success of the previous expedi¬ 
tions, and had to proceed upon the presumption that ev¬ 
erything had been effected according to his instructions. 
He accordingly fitted out a fine ship of four hundred and 
ninety tons, called the Beaver, and freighted her with a 
valuable cargo destined for the factory at the mouth of 
the Columbia, the trade along the coast, and the supply 
of the Eussian establishment. In this ship embarked a 
reinforcement, consisting of a partner, five clerks, fifteen 
American laborers, and six Canadian voyageurs. In 
choosing his agents for his first expedition, Mr. Astor had 
been obliged to have recourse to British subjects experi¬ 
enced in the Canadian fur trade ; henceforth it was his in¬ 
tention, as much as possible, to select Americans, so as to 
secure an ascendency of American influence in the manage¬ 
ment of the company, and to make it decidedly national. 

Accordingly, Mr. John Clarke, the partner who took 
the lead in the present expedition, was a native of the 
United States, though he had passed much of his life in 


486 


ASTORIA. 


the northwest, having been employed in the trade since 
the age of sixteen. Most of the clerks were young gen¬ 
tlemen of good connections in the American cities, some 
of whom embarked in the hope of gain, others through 
the mere spirit of adventure incident to youth. 

The instructions given by Mr. Astor to Captain Sowle, 
the commander of the Beaver, were, in some respects, 
hypothetical, in consequence of the uncertainty resting 
upon the previous steps of the enterprise. 

He was to touch at the Sandwich Islands, inquire 
about the fortunes of the Tonquin, and whether an estab¬ 
lishment had been formed at the mouth of the Columbia. 
If so, he was to take as many Sandwich Islanders as his 
ship could accommodate, and proceed thither. On ar¬ 
riving at the river, he was to observe great caution, for 
even if an establishment should have been formed, it 
might have fallen into hostile hands. He was, therefore, 
to put in as if by casualty or distress, to give himself out 
as a coasting trader, and to say nothing about his ship 
being owned by Mr. Astor, until he had ascertained that 
everything was right. In that case, he was to land such 
part of his cargo as was intended for the establishment, 
and to proceed to New Archangel with the supplies in¬ 
tended for the Russian post at that place, where he could 
receive peltries in payment. With these he was to re¬ 
turn to Astoria; take in the furs collected there, and, hav¬ 
ing completed his cargo by trading along the coast, was 
to proceed to Canton. The captain received the same 


AT THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA . 


487 


injunctions that had been given to Captain Thorn of the 
Tonquin, of great caution and circumspection in his in¬ 
tercourse with the natives, and that he should not permit 
more than one or two to be on board at a time. 

The Beaver sailed from New York on the 10th of Octo¬ 
ber, 1811, and reached the Sandwich Islands without any 
occurrence of moment. Here a rumor was heard of the 
disastrous fate of the Tonquin. Deep solicitude was felt 
by every one on board for the fate of both expeditions, 
by sea and land. Doubts were entertained whether any 
establishment had been formed at the mouth of the Co¬ 
lumbia, or whether any of the company would be found 
there. After much deliberation, the Captain took twelve 
Sandwich Islanders on board, for the service of the fac¬ 
tory, should there be one in existence, and proceeded on 
his voyage. 

On the 6th of May, he arrived off the mouth of the Co¬ 
lumbia, and running as near as possible, fired two signal 
guns. No answer was returned, nor was there any signal 
to be descried. Night coming on, the ship stood out to 
sea, and every heart drooped as the land faded away. 
On the following morning they again ran in within four 
miles of the shore, and fired other signal guns, but still 
without reply. A boat was then despatched, to sound 
the channel, and attempt an entrance ; but returned with¬ 
out success, there being a tremendous swell, and break¬ 
ers. Signal g un s were fired again in the evening, but 
equally in vain, and once more the ship stood off to sea 


488 


ASTORIA. 


for the night. The captain now gave up all hope of find¬ 
ing any establishment at the place, and indulged in the 
most gloomy apprehensions. He feared his predecessors 
had been massacred before they had reached their place 
of destination; or if they should have erected a factory, 
that it had been surprised and destroyed by the natives. 

In this moment of doubt and uncertainty, Mr. Clarke 
announced his determination, in case of the worst, to 
found an establishment with the present party, and all 
hands bravely engaged to stand by him in the undertak¬ 
ing. The next morning the ship stood in for the third 
time, and fired three signal guns, but with little hope of 
reply. To the gfeat joy of the crew, three distinct guns 
were heard in answer. The apprehensions of all but 
Captain Sowle were now at rest. That cautious com 
mander recollected the instructions given him by Mr. 
Astor, and determined to proceed with great circumspec¬ 
tion. He was well aware of Indian treachery and cun¬ 
ning. It was not impossible, he observed, that these 
cannon might have been fired by the savages themselves. 
They might have surprised the fort, massacred its in¬ 
mates ; and these signal guns might only be decoys to 
lure him across the bar, that they might have a chance 
of cutting him off, and seizing his vessel. 

At length a white flag was descried hoisted as a signal 
on Cape Disappointment. The passengers pointed to it 
in triumph, but the captain did not yet dismiss his 
doubts. A beacon fire blazed through the night on the 


ANCHORING IN BAKER’S BAT. 


489 


same place, but the captain observed that all these sig¬ 
nals might be treacherous. 

On the following morning, May 9th, the vessel came to 
anchor off Cape Disappointment, outside of the bar. To¬ 
wards noon an Indian canoe was seen making for the ship 
and all hands were ordered to be on the alert. A few 
moments afterwards, a barge was perceived following the 
canoe. The hopes and fears of those on board of the 
ship were in tumultuous agitation, as the boat drew nigh 
that was to let them know the fortunes of the enterprise, 
and the fate of their predecessors. The captain, who was 
haunted with the idea of possible treachery, did not suf¬ 
fer his curiosity to get the better of his caution, but or¬ 
dered a party of his men under arms, to receive the visit¬ 
ors. The canoe came first alongside, in which were Com- 
comly and six Indians; in the barge were M’Dougal, 
M’Lellan, and eight Canadians. A little conversation 
with these gentlemen dispelled all the captain’s fears, and 
the Beaver crossing the bar under their pilotage, an¬ 
chored safely in Baker’s Bay. 


CHAPTER XLm. 


ACTIVE OPERATIONS AT ASTORIA. — VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS PITTED OUT.— 
ROBERT STUART AND A PARTY DESTINED FOR NEW YORK.—SINGULAR CON¬ 
DUCT OF JOHN DAY.—HIS FATE.—PIRATICAL PASS AND HAZARDOUS PORT¬ 
AGE.—RATTLESNAKES.—THEIR ABHORRENCE OF TOBACCO.—ARRIVAL AMONG 
THE WALLAH-WALLAHS.—PURCHASE OF HORSES.—DEPARTURE OF STUART 
AND HIS BAND FOR THE MOUNTAINS. 


HE arrival of the Beaver with a reinforcement 
and supplies, gave new life and vigor to affairs 
at Astoria. These were means for extending 
the operations of the establishment, and founding inte¬ 
rior trading posts. Two parties were immediately set on 
foot to proceed severally under the command of Messrs. 
M’Kenzie and Clarke, and establish posts above the forks 
oi the Columbia, at points where most rivalry and oppo¬ 
sition were apprehended from the Northwest Company. 

A third party, headed by Mr. David Stuart, was to re¬ 
pair with supplies to the post of that gentleman on the 
Oakinagan. In addition to these expeditions, a fourth 
was necessary to convey despatches to Mr. Astor, at New 
"Xork, in place of those unfortunately lost by John Reed. 
The safe conveyance of these despatches was highly im¬ 
portant, as by them Mr. Astor would receive an account 

490 








DEPARTURE OF VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS. 491 


of the state of the factory, and regulate his reinforce¬ 
ments and supplies accordingly. The mission was one of 
peril and hardship and required a man of nerve and 
vigor. It was confided to Robert Stuart, who, though he 
had never been across the mountains, and a very young 
man, had given proofs of his competency to the task. 
Pour trusty and well-tried men, who had come overland 
in Mr. Hunt’s expedition, were given as his guides and 
hunters. These were Ben Jones and John Day, the Ken¬ 
tuckians, and Andri Yallar and Francis Le Clerc, Ca¬ 
nadians. Mr. M’Lellan again expressed his determination 
to take this opportunity of returning to the Atlantic 
States. In this he was joined by Mr. Crooks, who, not* 
withstanding all that he had suffered in the dismal jour¬ 
ney of the preceding winter, was ready to retrace his 
steps and brave every danger and hardship, rather than 
remain at Astoria. This little handful of adventurous 
men we propose to accompany in its long and perilous 
peregrinations. 

The several parties we have mentioned all set off in 
company on the 29th of June, under a salute of cannon 
from the fort. They were to keep together for mutual 
protection through the piratical passes of the river, and 
to separate, on their different destinations, at the forks 
of the Columbia. Their number, collectively, was nearly 
sixty, consisting of partners and clerks, Canadian voy- 
ageurs, Sandwich Islanders, and American hunters ; and 
they embarked in two barges and ten canoes. 


492 


ASTORIA. 


They had scarcely got under way, when John Day, the 
Kentucky hunter, became restless and uneasy, and ex¬ 
tremely wayward in his deportment. This caused sur¬ 
prise, for in general he was remaTkable for his cheerful, 
manly deportment. It was supposed that the recollec¬ 
tion of past sufferings might harass his mind in under¬ 
taking to retrace the scenes where they had been experi¬ 
enced. As the expedition advanced, however, his agita¬ 
tion increased. He began to talk wildly and incoherently, 
and to show manifest symptoms of derangement. 

Mr. Crooks now informed his companions that in his 
desolate wanderings through the Snake Kiver country 
during the preceding winter, in which he had been ac¬ 
companied by John Day, the poor fellow’s wits had been 
partially unsettled by the sufferings and horrors through 
which they had passed, and he doubted whether they 
had ever been restored to perfect sanity. It was still 
hoped that this agitation of spirit might pass away as 
they proceeded; but, on the contrary, it grew more and 
more violent. His comrades endeavored to divert his 
mind and to draw him into rational conversation, but he 
only became the more exasperated, uttering wild and in¬ 
coherent ravings. The sight of any of the natives put 
him in an absolute fury, and he would heap on them the 
most opprobrious epithets ; recollecting, no doubt, what 
he had suffered from Indian robbers. 

On the evening of the 2d of July he became absolutely 
frantic, and attempted to destroy himself. Being dis* 


PRECAUTIONS TAKEN AT PIRATICAL PASS. 493 

armed, he sank into quietude, and professed the greatest 
remorse for the crime he had meditated. He then pre¬ 
tended to sleep, and having thus lulled suspicion, sud¬ 
denly sprang up, just before daylight, seized a pair of 
loaded pistols, and endeavored to blow out his brains. 
In his hurry he fired too high, and the balls passed over 
his head. He was instantly secured and placed under a 
guard in one of the boats. How to dispose of him was 
now the question, as it was impossible to keep him with 
the expedition. Fortunately Mr. Stuart met with some 
Indians accustomed to trade with Astoria. These under¬ 
took to conduct John Day back to the factory, and deliver 
him there in safety. It was with the utmost concern that 
his comrades saw the poor fellow depart; for, indepen¬ 
dent of his invaluable services as a first-rate hunter, his 
frank and loyal qualities had made him a universal favor¬ 
ite. It may be as well to add that the Indians executed 
their task faithfully, and landed John Day among his 
friends at Astoria; but his constitution was completely 
broken by the hardships he had undergone, and he died 
within a year. 

On the evening of the 6th of July the party arrived at 
the piratical pass of the river, and encamped at the foot 
of the first rapid. The next day, before the commence¬ 
ment of the portage, the greatest precautions were taken 
to guard against lurking treachery, or open attack. The 
weapons of every man were put in order, and his car¬ 
tridge-box replenished. Each one wore a kind of a sur- 


494 


ASTORIA. 


coat made of the skin of the elk, reaching from his 
neck to his knees, and answering the purpose of a 
shirt of mail, for it was arrow proof, and could even 
resist a musket ball at the distance of ninety yards. 
Thus armed and equipped, they posted their forces in 
military style. Five of the officers took their stations at 
each end of the portage, which was between three and 
four miles in length ; a number of men mounted guard at 
short distances along the heights immediately overlook¬ 
ing the river, while the residue, thus protected from sur¬ 
prise, employed themselves below in dragging up the 
barges and canoes, and carrying up the goods along the 
narrow margin of the rapids. With these precautions 
they all passed unmolested. The only accident that hap¬ 
pened was the upsetting of one of the canoes, by which 
some of the goods sunk, and others floated down the 
stream. The alertness and rapacity of the hordes which 
infest these rapids, were immediately apparent. They 
pounced upon the floating merchandise with the keen¬ 
ness of regular wreckers. A bale of goods which landed 
upon one of the islands was immediately ripped open, 
one half of its contents divided among the captors, and 
the other half secreted in a lonely hut in a deep ravine. 
Mr. Robert Stuart, however, set out in a canoe with five 
men and an interpreter, ferreted out the wreckers in their 
retreat, and succeeded in wresting from them their booty. 

Similar precautions to those already mentioned, and to 
a still greater extent, were observed in passing the Long 


WRECKERS FOILED. 


495 


Narrows, and the falls, where they would he exposed to 
the depredations of the chivalry of Wish-ram, and its 
freebooting neighborhood. In fact, they had scarcely set 
their first watch one night, when an alarm of “ Indians ! ” 
was given. “ To arms ” was the cry, and every man was at 
his post in an instant. The alarm was explained; a war 
party of Shoshonies had surprised a canoe of the natives 
just below the encampment, had murdered four men and 
two women, and it was apprehended they would attack 
the camp. The boats and canoes were immediately 
hauled up, a breastwork was made of them and the pack¬ 
ages, forming three sides of a square, with the river in 
the rear, and thus the party remained fortified through¬ 
out the night. 

The dawn, however, dispelled the alarm ; the portage 
was conducted in peace ; the vagabond warriors of the 
vicinity hovered about them while at work, but were 
kept at a wary distance. They regarded the loads of 
merchandise with wistful eyes, but seeing the “ long- 
beards ” so formidable in number, and so well prepared 
for action, they made no attempt either by open force or 
sly pilfering to collect their usual toll, but maintained a 
peaceful demeanor, and were afterwards rewarded for 
their good conduct with presents of tobacco. 

Fifteen days were consumed in ascending from the foot 
of the first rapid to the head of the falls, a distance of 
about eighty miles, but full of all kinds of obstructions. 
Having happily accomplished these difficult portages, the 


496 


ASTORIA . 


party, on the 19th of July, arrived at a smoother part of 
the river, and pursued their way up the stream with 
greater speed and facility. 

They were now in the neighborhood where Mr. Crooks 
and John Day had been so perfidiously robbed and 
stripped a few months previously, when confiding in the 
proffered hospitality of a ruffian band. On landing at 
night, therefore, a vigilant guard was maintained about 
the camp. On the following morning a number of In¬ 
dians made their appearance, and came prowling round 
the party while at breakfast. To his great delight, Mr. 
Crooks recognized among them two of the miscreants by 
whom he had been robbed. They were instantly seized, 
bound hand and foot, and thrown into one of the canoes. 
Here they lay in doleful fright, expecting summary exe¬ 
cution. Mr. Crooks, however, was not of a revengeful 
disposition, and agreed to release the culprits as soon as 
the pillaged property should be restored. Several sav¬ 
ages immediately started off in different directions, and 
before night the rifles of Crooks and Day were pro¬ 
duced ; several of the smaller articles pilfered from them, 
however, could not be recovered. 

The bands of the culprits were then removed, and they 
lost no time in taking their departure, still under the 
influence of abject terror, and scarcely crediting their 
senses that they had escaped the merited punishment 
of their offenses. 

The country on each side of the river now began to 


RATTLESNAKES. 


497 


assume a different character. The hills, and cliffs, and 
forests disappeared; vast sandy plains, scantily clothed 
here and there with short tufts of grass, parched by the 
(summer sun, stretched far away to the north and south. 
The river was occasionally obstructed with rocks and 
rapids, but often there were smooth, placid intervals, 
where the current was gentle, and the boatmen were 
enabled to lighten their labors with the assistance of the 
sail. 

The natives in this part of the river resided entirely 
on the northern side. They were hunters, as well as 
fishermen, and had horses in plenty. Some of these 
were purchased by the party, as provisions, and killed on 
the spot, though they occasionally found a difficulty in 
procuring fuel wherewith to cook them. One of the 
greatest dangers that beset the travellers in this part of 
their expedition, was the vast number of rattlesnakes 
which infested the rocks about the rapids and portages, 
and on which the men were in danger of treading. They 
were often found, too, in quantities about the encamp¬ 
ments. In one place, a nest of them lay coiled together, 
basking in the sun. Several guns loaded with shot were 
discharged at them, and thirty-seven killed and wounded. 
To prevent any unwelcome visits from them in the 
night, tobacco was occasionally strewed around the 
tents, a weed for which they have a very proper abhor¬ 
rence. 

On the 28th of July the travellers arrived at the mouth 


498 


ASTORIA . 


of the Wallah-Wallah, a bright, clear stream, about six 
feet deep, and fifty-five yards wide, which flows rapidly 
over a bed of sand and gravel, and throws itself into the 
Columbia, a few miles below Lewis River. Here the 
combined parties that had thus far voyaged together, 
were to separate, each for its particular destination. 

On the banks of the Wallah-Wallah, lived the hospita¬ 
ble tribe of the same name who had succored Mr. Crooks 
and John Day in the time of their extremity. No sooner 
did they hear of the arrival of the party, than they has¬ 
tened to greet them. They built a great bonfire on the 
bank of the river, before the camp, and men and women 
danced round it to the cadence of their songs, in which 
they sang the praises of the white men, and welcomed 
them to their country. 

On the following day a traffic was commenced, to pro¬ 
cure horses for such of the party as intended to proceed 
by land. The Wallah-Wallahs are an equestrian tribe. 
The equipments of their horses were rude and incon¬ 
venient. High saddles, roughly made of deer-skin, 
stuffed with hair, which chafe the horse’s back and leave 
it raw; wooden stirrups, with a thong of raw hide 
wrapped round them; and for bridles they have cords of 
twisted horse-liair, which they tie round the under jaw. 
They are, like most Indians, bold but hard riders, and 
when on horseback gallop about the most dangerous 
places, without fear for themselves, or pity for their 
steeds. 


PURCHASING HORSES. 


499 


From these people Mr. Stuart purchased twenty horses 
for his party; some for the saddle, and others to trans¬ 
port the baggage. He was fortunate in procuring a noble 
animal for his own use, which was praised by the Indians 
for its great speed and bottom, and a high price set upon 
it. No people understand better the value of a horse, 
than these equestrian tribes; and nowhere is speed a 
greater requisite, as they frequently engage in the chase 
of the antelope, one of the fleetest of animals. Even after 
the Indian who sold this boasted horse to Mr. Stuart had 
concluded his bargain, he lingered about the animal, 
seeming loth to part from him, and to be sorry for what 
he had done. 

A day or two were employed by Mr. Stuart in arrang¬ 
ing packages and pack-saddles, and making other prepa¬ 
rations for his long and arduous journey. His party, by 
the loss of John Day, was now reduced to six, a small 
number for such an expedition. They were young men, 
however, full of courage, health, and good spirits, and 
stimulated rather than appalled by danger. 

On the morning of the 31st of July, all preparations 
being concluded, Mr. Stuart and his little band mounted 
their steeds and took a farewell of their fellow-travellers, 
who gave them three hearty cheers as they set out on 
their dangerous journey. The course they took was to 
the southeast, towards the fated region of the Snake 
River. At an immense distance rose a chain of craggy 
mountains, which they would have to traverse; they 


500 


ASTORIA. 


were the same among which the travellers had expe¬ 
rienced such sufferings from cold during the preced¬ 
ing winter, and from their azure tints, when seen at 
a distance, had received the name of the Blue Moun¬ 
tains. 


CHAPTER XLIV. 


ROUTS OP MR. STUART.—DREARY WILDS.—THIRSTY TRAVELLING.— A GROW 
AND STREAMLET.—THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.—A FERTILE PLAIN WITH RIVU¬ 
LETS.—SULPHUR SPRING.—ROUTE ALONG SNAKE RIVER.—RUMORS OF WHITB 
MEN.—THE SNAKE AND HIS HORSE.—A SNAKE GUIDE.—A MIDNIGHT DE¬ 
CAMPMENT.— UNEXPECTED MEETING WITH OLD COMRADES. — STORY OP 
TRAPPERS’ HARDSHIPS.—SALMON FALLS.—A GREAT FISHERY.—MODE OF 
SPEARING SALMON. — ARRIVAL AT THE CALDRON LINN. — STATE OF THE 
CACHES.—NEW RESOLUTION OF THE THREE KENTUCKY TRAPPERS. 


retracing the route which had proved so dis¬ 
astrous to Mr. Hunt’s party during the pre¬ 
ceding winter, Mr. Stuart had trusted, in the 
present more favorable season, to find easy travelling and 
abundant supplies. On these great wastes and wilds, 
however, each season has its peculiar hardships. The 
travellers had not proceeded far, before they found them¬ 
selves among naked and arid hills, with a soil composed 
of sand and clay, baked and brittle, that to all appear¬ 
ance had never been visited by the dews of heaven. 

Not a spring, or pool, or running stream was to be 
seen; the sunburnt country was seamed and cut up by 
dry ravines, the beds of winter torrents, serving only 
to balk the hopes of man and beast with the sight of 










502 


ASTORIA. 


dusty channels, where water had once poured along in 
floods. 

For a long summer day they continued onward with¬ 
out halting, a burning sky above their heads, a parched 
desert beneath their feet, with just wind enough to raise 
the light sand from the knolls, and envelop them in sti¬ 
fling clouds. The sufferings from thirst became intense ; 
a fine young dog, their only companion of the kind, gave 
out, and expired. Evening drew on without any pros¬ 
pect of relief, and they were almost reduced to despair, 
when they descried something that looked like a fringe 
of forest, along the horizon. All were inspired with new 
hope, for they knew that on these arid wastes, in the 
neighborhood of trees, there is always water. 

They now quickened their pace; the horses seemed to 
understand their motives, and to partake of their antici¬ 
pations ; for, though before almost ready to give out, they 
now required neither whip nor spur. With all their ex¬ 
ertions, it was late in the night before they drew near 
to the trees. As they approached, they heard, with trans¬ 
port, the rippling of a shallow stream. No sooner did 
the refreshing sound reach the ears of the horses, than 
the poor animals snuffed the air, rushed forward with un¬ 
governable eagerness, and plunging their muzzles into 
the water, drank until they seemed in danger of bursting. 
Their riders had but little more discretion, and required 
repeated draughts to quench their excessive thirst. 
Their weary march that day had been forty-five miles, 


GLEN AND MOUNTAIN. 


503 


over a tract that might rival the deserts of Africa for 
aridity. Indeed, the sufferings of the traveller on these 
American deserts is frequently more severe than in the 
wastes of Africa or Asia, from being less habituated and 
prepared to cope with them. 

On the banks of this blessed stream the travellers en¬ 
camped for the night; and so great had been their fa¬ 
tigue, and so sound and sweet was their sleep, that it was 
a late hour the next morning before they awoke. They 
now recognized the little river to be the Umatalla, the 
same on the banks of which Mr. Hunt and his followers 
had arrived after their painful struggle through the Blue 
Mountains, and experienced such a kind relief in the 
friendly camp of the Sciatogas. 

That range of Blue Mountains now extended in the 
distance before them; they were the same among which 
poor Michael Carriere had perished. They form tht 
southeast boundary of the great plains along the Colum¬ 
bia, dividing the waters of its main stream from those of 
Lewis River. They are, in fact, a part of a long chain, 
which stretches over a great extent of country, and in¬ 
cludes in its links the Snake River Mountains. 

The day was somewhat advanced before the travellers 
left the shady banks of the Umatalla. Their route grad¬ 
ually took them among the Blue Mountains, which as¬ 
sumed the most rugged aspect on a near approach. They 
were shagged with dense and gloomy forests, and cut up 
by deep and precipitous ravines, extremely toilsome to 


504 


ASTORIA . 


the horses. Sometimes the travellers had to follow the 
course of some brawling stream, with a broken, rocky 
bed, which the shouldering cliffs and promontories on 
either side obliged them frequently to cross and recross. 
For some miles they struggled forward through these 
savage and darkly wooded defiles, when all at once the 
whole landscape changed, as if by magic. The rude 
mountains and rugged ravines softened into beautiful 
hills, and intervening meadows, with rivulets winding 
through fresh herbage, and sparkling and murmuring 
over gravelly beds, the whole forming a verdant and pas¬ 
toral scene, which derived additional charms from being 
locked up in the bosom of such a hard-hearted region. 

Emerging from the chain of Blue Mountains, they de¬ 
scended upon a vast plain, almost a dead level, sixty 
miles in circumference, of excellent soil, with fine streams 
meandering through it in every direction, their courses 
marked out in the wide landscape by serpentine lines of 
cotton-wood trees, and willows, which fringed their 
banks, and afforded sustenance to great numbers of bea¬ 
vers and otters. 

In traversing this plain, they passed, close to the skirts 
of the hills, a great pool of water, three hundred yards in 
circumference, fed by a sulphur spring, about ten feet in 
diameter, boiling up in one corner. The vapor from this 
pool was extremely noisome, and tainted the air for a 
considerable distance. The place was much frequented 
by elk, which were found in considerable numbers in the 


NEWS OF STRAGGLERS . 


505 


adjacent mountains, and their horns, shed in the spring¬ 
time, were strewed in every direction around the pond. 

On the 10th of August, they reached the main body of 
Woodvile Creek, the same stream which Mr. Hunt had 
ascended in the preceding year, shortly after his separa¬ 
tion from Mr. Crooks. 

On the banks of this stream they saw a herd of nine¬ 
teen antelopes; a sight so unusual in that part of the 
country, that at first they doubted the evidence of their 
senses. They tried by every means to get within shot of 
them, but they were too shy and fleet, and after alter¬ 
nately bounding to a distance, and then stopping to gaze 
with capricious curiosity at the hunter, they at length 
scampered out of sight. 

On the 12th of August, the travellers arrived on the 
banks of Snake Eiver, the scene of so many trials and 
mishaps to all of the present party excepting Mr. Stuart. 
They struck the river just above the place where it en¬ 
tered the mountains, through which Messrs. Stuart and 
Crooks had vainly endeavored to find a passage. The 
river was here a rapid stream, four hundred yards in 
width, with high sandy banks, and here and there a 
scanty growth of willow. Up the southern side of the 
river they now bent their course, intending to visit the 
caches made by Mr. Hunt at the Caldron Linn. 

On the second evening, a solitary Snake Indian visited 
their camp, at a late hour, and informed them that there 
was a white man residing at one of the cantonments of 


506 


ASTORIA . 


liis tribe, about a day’s journey higher up the river. It 
was immediately concluded, that he must be one of the 
poor fellows of Mr. Hunt’s party, who had given out, ex* 
hausted by hunger and fatigue, in the wretched journey 
of the preceding winter. All present who had borne a 
part in the sufferings of that journey, were eager now to 
press forward, and bring relief to a lost comrade. Early 
the next morning, therefore, they pushed forward with 
unusual alacrity. For two days, however, did they travel 
without being able to find any trace of such a straggler. 

On the evening of the second day, they arrived at a 
place where a large river came in from the east, which 
was renowned among all the wandering hordes of the 
Snake nation for its salmon fishery, that fish being taken 
in incredible quantities in this neighborhood. Here, 
therefore, during the fishing season, the Snake Indians 
resort from far and near, to lay in their stock of salmon, 
which, with esculent roots, forms the principal food of 
the inhabitants of these barren regions. 

On the bank of a small stream emptying into Snake 
River at this place, Mr. Stuart found an encampment of 
Shoshonies. He made the usual inquiry of them con¬ 
cerning the white man of whom he had received intelli¬ 
gence. No such person was dwelling among them, but 
they said there were white men residing with some of 
their nation on the opposite side of the river. This was 
still more animating information. Mr. Crooks now hoped 
that these might be the men of his party, who, disheart- 


AN UNWELCOME CLAIMANT. 


507 


ened by perils and hardships, had preferred to remain 
among the Indians. Others thought they might be Mr. 
Miller and the hunters who had left the main body at 
Henry’s Fort, to trap among the mountain streams. Mr. 
Stuart halted, therefore, in the neighborhood of the Sho- 
shonie lodges, and sent an Indian across the river to seek 
out the white men in question, and bring them to his 
camp. 

The travellers passed a restless, miserable night. The 
place swarmed with myriads of musquitoes, which, with 
their stings and their music, set all sleep at defiance. 
The morning dawn found them in a feverish, irritable 
mood, and their spleen was completely aroused by the 
return of the Indian without any intelligence of the white 
men. They now considered themselves the dupes of 
Indian falsehoods, and resolved to put no more confi¬ 
dence in Snakes. They soon, however, forgot this reso¬ 
lution. In the course of the morning, an Indian came 
galloping after them ; Mr. Stuart waited to receive him ; 
no sooner had he come up, than, dismounting and throw¬ 
ing his arms round the neck of Mr. Stuart’s horse, he 
began to kiss and caress the animal, who, on his part, 
seemed by no means surprised or displeased with his 
salutation. Mr. Stuart, who valued his horse highly, 
was somewhat annoyed by these transports; the cause 
of them was soon explained. The Snake said the horse 
had belonged to him, and been the best in his posses¬ 
sion, and that it had been stolen by the Wallah-Wallahs. 


508 


ASTORIA. 


Mr. Stuart was by no means pleased with this recogni* 
tion of his steed, nor disposed to admit any claim on the 
part of its ancient owner. In fact, it was a noble animal, 
admirably shaped, of free and generous spirit, graceful 
in movement, and fleet as an antelope. It was his inten¬ 
tion, if possible, to take the horse to New York, and 
present him to Mr. Astor. 

In the meantime, some of the party came up, and im¬ 
mediately recognized in the Snake an old friend and ally. 
He was, in fact, one of the two guides who had conducted 
Mr. Hunt’s party, in the preceding autumn, across Mad 
River Mountain to Fort Henry, and who subsequently 
departed with Mr. Miller and his fellow trappers, to con¬ 
duct them to a good trapping ground. The reader may 
recollect that these two trusty Snakes were engaged by 
Mr. Hunt to return and take charge of the horses which 
the party intended to leave at Fort Henry, when they 
should embark in canoes. 

The party now crowded round the Snake, and began to 
question him with eagerness. His replies were some¬ 
what vague, and but partially understood. He told a 
long story about the horses, from which it appeared that 
they had been stolen by various wandering bands, and 
scattered in different directions. The cache, too, had 
been plundered, and the saddles and other equipments 
carried off. His information concerning Mr. Miller and 
his comrades was not more satisfactory. They had trap¬ 
ped for some time about the upper streams, but had 


A SNAKE GUIDE. 


509 


fallen into the hands of a marauding party of Crow's, 
who had robbed them of horses, weapons, and every¬ 
thing. 

Further questioning brought forth further intelligence, 
but all of a disastrous kind. About ten days previously, 
he had met with three other white men, in very misera¬ 
ble plight, having one horse each, and but one rifle 
among them. They also had been plundered and mal¬ 
treated by the Crows, those universal freebooters. The 
Snake endeavored to pronounce the names of these three 
men, and as far as his imperfect sounds could be under¬ 
stood, they were supposed to be three of the party of 
four hunters, namely, Carson, St. Michael, Detaye, and 
Delaunay, who were detached from Mr. Hunt’s party 
on the 28th of September, to trap beaver on the head 
waters of the Columbia. 

In the course of conversation, the Indian informed 
them that the route by which Mr. Hunt had crossed the 
Rocky Mountains was very bad and circuitous, and that 
he knew one much shorter and easier. Mr. Stuart urged 
him to accompany them as guide, promising to reward 
him with a pistol with powder and ball, a knife, an awl, 
some blue beads, a blanket, and a looking-glass. Such a 
catalogue of riches was too tempting to be resisted ; be¬ 
sides the poor Snake languished after the prairies ; he 
was tired, he said, of salmon, and longed for buffalo meat, 
and to have a grand buffalo hunt beyond the mountains. 
He departed, therefore, with all spead, to get his arms 


510 


ASTORIA. 


and equipments for the journey, promising to rejoin the 
party the next day. He kept his word, and, as he no 
longer said anything to Mr. Stuart on the subject of the 
pet horse, they journeyed very harmoniously together; 
though now and then, the Snake would regard his quon¬ 
dam steed with a wistful eye. 

They had not travelled many miles, when they came to 
a great bend in the river. Here the Snake informed them 
that, by cutting across the hills they would save many 
miles of distance. The route across, however, would be a 
good day’s journey. He advised them, therefore, to en¬ 
camp here for the night, and set off early in the morning 
They took his advice, though they had come but nine 
miles that day. 

On the following morning they rose, bright and early, 
to ascend the hills. On mustering their little party, the 
guide was missing. They supposed him to be somewhere 
in the neighborhood, and proceeded to collect the horses. 
The vaunted steed of Mr. Stuart was not to be found. A 
suspicion flashed upon his mind. Search for the horse 
of the Snake! He likewise was gone—the tracks of two 
horses, one after the other, were found, making off from 
the camp. They appeared as if one horse had been 
mounted, and the other led. They were traced for a few 
miles above the camp, until they both crossed the river. 
It was plain the Snake had taken an Indian mode of re¬ 
covering his horse, having quietly decamped with him in 
the night. 


MEETING WITH LOST COMRADES. 


511 


New vows were made never more to trust in Snakes, or 
any other Indians. It was determined, also, to maintain, 
hereafter, the strictest vigilance over their horses, divid¬ 
ing the night into three watches, and one person mounting 
guard at a time. They resolved, also, to keep along the 
river, instead of taking the short cut recommended by the 
fugitive Snake, whom they now set down for a thorough 
deceiver. The heat of the weather was oppressive, and 
their horses were, at times, rendered almost frantic by 
the stings of the prairie flies. The nights were suffocating, 
and it was almost impossible to sleep, from the swarms 
of musquitoes. 

On the 20th of August they resumed their march, keep¬ 
ing along the prairie parallel to Snake River. The day 
was sultry, and some of the party, being parched with 
thirst, left the line of march, and scrambled down the 
bank of the river to drink. The bank was overhung with 
willows, beneath which, to their surprise, they beheld a 
man fishing. No sooner did he see them, than he uttered 
an exclamation of joy. It proved to be John Hoback, one 
of their lost comrades. They had scarcely exchanged 
greetings, when three other men came out from among 
the willows. They were Joseph Miller, Jacob Rezner, 
and Robinson, the scalped Kentuckian, the veteran of the 
Bloody Ground. 

The reader will perhaps recollect the abrupt and willful 
manner in which Mr. Miller threw up his interest as a 
partner of the company, and departed from Fort Henry, 


512 


ASTORIA . 


in company with these three trappers, and a fourth, 
named Cass. He may likewise recognize in Robinson, 
Eezner, and Hoback, the trio of Kentucky hunters who 
had originally been in the service of Mr. Henry, and 
whom Mr. Hunt found floating down the Missouri, on 
their way homeward; and prevailed upon, once more, to 
cross the mountains. The haggard looks and naked con¬ 
dition of these men proved how much they had suffered. 
After leaving Mr. Hunt’s party, they had made their way 
about two hundred miles to the southward, where they 
trapped beaver on a river which, according to their ac¬ 
count, discharged itself into the ocean to the south of the 
Columbia, but which we apprehend to be Bear River, a 
stream emptying itself into Lake Bonneville, an immense 
body of salt water, west of the Rocky Mountains. 

Having collected a considerable quantity of beaver 
skins, they made them into packs, loaded their horses, 
and steered two hundred miles due east. Here they 
came upon an encampment of sixty lodges of Arapahays, 
an outlawed band of the Arrapahoes, and notorious rob¬ 
bers. These fell upon the poor trappers ; robbed them 
of their peltries, most of their clothing, and several of 
their horses. They were glad to escape with their lives, 
and without being entirely stripped, and after proceeding 
about fifty miles further, made their halt for the winter. 

Early in the spring they resumed their wayfaring, but 
were unluckily overtaken by the same ruffian horde, who 
levied still further contributions, and carried off the re- 


STORY OF TRAPPERS ’ HARDSHIPS. 


515 


mainder of their horses, excepting two. With these they 
continued on, suffering the greatest hardships. They 
still retained rifles and ammunition, but were in a desert 
country, where neither bird nor beast was to be found. 
Their only chance was to keep along the rivers, and sub¬ 
sist by fishing ; but at times no fish were to be taken, and 
then their sufferings were horrible. One of their horses 
was stolen among the mountains by the Snake Indians ; 
the other, they said, was carried off by Cass, who, accord¬ 
ing to their account, “ villainously left them in their ex¬ 
tremities.” Certain dark doubts and surmises were after¬ 
wards circulated concerning the fate of that poor fellow, 
which, if true, showed to what a desperate state of famine 
his comrades had been reduced. 

Being now completely unhorsed, Mr. Miller and his 
three companions wandered on foot for several hundred 
miles, enduring hunger, thirst, and fatigue, while travers¬ 
ing the barren wastes which abound beyond the Bocky 
Mountains. At the time they were discovered by Mr. 
Stuart’s party, they were almost famished, and were fish¬ 
ing for a precarious meal. Had Mr. Stuart made the short 
cut across the hills, avoiding this bend of the river, or 
had not some of his party accidentally gone down to the 
margin of the stream to drink, these poor wanderers 
might have remained undiscovered, and have perished in 
the wilderness. Nothing could exceed their joy on thus 
meeting with their old comrades, or the heartiness with 
which they were welcomed. All hands immediately en- 
33 


514 


ASTORIA. 


camped ; and the slender stores of the party were ram* 
sacked to furnish out a suitable regale. 

The next morning they all set out together ; Mr. Miller 
and his comrades being resolved to give up the life of a 
trapper, and accompany Mr. Stuart back to St. Louis. 

For several days they kept along the course of Snake 
River, occasionally making short cuts across hills and 
promontories, where there were bends in the stream. In 
their way they passed several camps of Shoshonies, from 
some of whom they procured salmon, but in general they 
were too wretchedly poor to furnish anything. It was 
the wish of Mr. Stuart to purchase horses for the recent 
recruits of his party; but the Indians could not be pre¬ 
vailed upon to part with any, alleging that they had not 
enough for their own use. 

On the 25th of August they reached a great fishing 
place, to which they gave the name of the Salmon Falls. 
Here there is a perpendicular fall of twenty feet on the 
north side of the river, while on the south side there is 
a succession of rapids. The salmon are taken here in 
incredible quantities, as they attempt to shoot the falls. 
It was now a favorable season, and there were about on© 
hundred lodges of Shoshonies busily engaged killing and 
drying fish. The salmon begin to leap shortly after sun¬ 
rise. At this time the Indians swim to the centre of the 
falls, where some station themselves on rocks, and others 
stand to their waists in the water, all armed with spears, 
with which they assail the salmon as they attempt to 


MODE OF SPEARING SALMON. 


515 


leap, or fall back exhausted. It is an incessant slaughter, 
so great is the throng of the fish. 

The construction of the spears thus used is peculiar. 
The head is a straight piece of elk horn, about seven 
inches long, on the point of which an artificial barb is 
made fast, with twine well gummed. The head is stuck on 
the end of the shaft, a very long pole of willow, to which 
it is likewise connected by a strong cord, a few inches 
in length. When the spearsman makes a sure blow, 
he often strikes the head of the spear through the body 
of the fish. It comes off easily, and leaves the salmon 
struggling with the string through its body, while the pole 
is still held by the spearsman. Were it not for the pre¬ 
caution of the string, the willow shaft would be snapped 
by the struggles and the weight of the fish. Mr. Miller, in 
the course of his wanderings, had been at these falls, and 
had seen several thousand salmon taken in the course of 
one afternoon. He declared that he had seen a salmon leap 
a distance of about thirty feet, from the commencement 
of the foam at the foot of the fall, completely to the top. 

Having purchased a good supply of salmon from the 
fishermen, the party resumed their journey, and on the 
twenty-ninth, arrived at the Caldron Linn, the eventful 
scene of the preceding autumn. Here, the first thing 
that met their eyes was a memento of the perplexities of 
that period; the wreck of a canoe, lodged between two 
ledges of rocks. They endeavored to get down to it, but 
the river banks were too high and precipitous. 


516 


ASTORIA 


They now proceeded to that part of the neighborhood 
where Mr. Hunt and his party had made the caches, in¬ 
tending to take from them such articles as belonged to 
Mr. Crooks, M’Lellan, and the Canadians. On reaching 
the spot, they found, to their astonishment, six of the 
caches open and rifled of their contents, excepting a few 
books which lay scattered about the vicinity. They had 
the appearance of having been plundered in the course 
of the summer. There were tracks of wolves in every 
direction, to and from the holes, from which Mr. Stuart 
concluded that these animals had first been attracted to 
the place by the smell of the skins contained in the 
caches, which they had probably torn up, and that their 
tracks had betrayed the secret to the Indians. 

The three remaining caches had not been molested: 
they contained a few dry goods, some ammunition, and a 
number of beaver traps. From these Mr. Stuart took 
whatever was requisite for his party ; he then deposited 
within them all his superfluous baggage, and all the books 
and papers scattered around; the holes were then care¬ 
fully closed up, and all traces of them effaced. And here 
we have to record another instance of the indomitable 
spirit of the western trappers. No sooner did the trio of 
Kentucky hunters, Robinson, Rezner, and Hoback, find 
that they could once more be fitted out for a campaign of 
beaver-trapping, than they forgot all that they had suf¬ 
fered, and determined upon another trial of their for¬ 
tunes ; preferring to take their chance in the wilderness, 


THE PERSEVERING TRAPPERS. 


517 


rather than return home ragged and penniless. As to 
Mr. Miller, he declared his curiosity and his desire of 
travelling through the Indian countries fully satisfied; 
he adhered to his determination, therefore, to keep on 
with the party to St. Louis, and to return to the bosom 
of civilized society. 

The three hunters, therefore, Robinson, Rezner, and 
Hoback, were furnished, as far as the caches and the 
means of Mr. Stuart’s party afforded, with the requisite 
munitions and equipments for a “ two years’ hunt; ” but 
as their fitting out was yet incomplete, they resolved to 
wait in this neighborhood until Mr. Reed should arrive ; 
whose arrival might soon be expected, as he was to set 
out for the caches about twenty days after Mr. Stuart 
parted with him at the Wallah-Wallah River. 

Mr. Stuart gave in charge to Robinson a letter to Mr. 
Reed, reporting his safe journey thus far, and the state 
in which he had found the caches. A duplicate of this 
letter he elevated on a pole, and set it up near the place 
of deposit. 

All things being thus arranged, Mr. Stuart and his lit¬ 
tle band, now seven in number, took leave of the three 
hardy trappers, wishing them all possible success in 
their lonely and perilous sojourn in the wilderness ; and 
we, in like manner, shall leave them to their fortunes, 
promising to take them up again at some future page, 
and to close the story of their persevering and ill-fated 
enterprise. 


CHAPTER XLV. 


THE SNAKE RIVER DESERTS. — SCANTY FARE. — BEWILDERED TRAVELLERS.— 
PROWLING INDIANS.—A GIANT CROW CHIEF.—A BULLY REBUKED.—INDIAN 
SIGNALS.—SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAINS.—MAD RIVER.—AN ALARM.—AN IN¬ 
DIAN FORAY.—A SCAMPER.—A RUDE INDIAN JOKE.—A SHARP-SHOOTEB 
BALKED OF HIS SHOT. 



^ the 1st of September, Mr. Stuart and his com¬ 
panions resumed their journey, bending their 
course eastward, along the course of Snake 


River. As they advanced the country opened. The hills 
which had hemmed in the river receded on either hand, 
and great sandy and dusty plains extended before them. 
Occasionally there were intervals of pasturage, and the 
banks of the river were fringed with willows and cotton¬ 
wood, so that its course might be traced from the hill¬ 
tops, winding under an umbrageous covert, through a 
wide sunburnt landscape. The soil, however, was gener¬ 
ally poor; there was in some places a miserable growth 
of wormwood, and a plant called saltweed, resembling 
pennyroyal; but the summer had parched the plains, and 
left but little pasturage. The game, too, had disappeared. 
The hunter looked in vain over the lifeless landscape; 
now and then a few antelope might be seen, but not within 


518 







BEWILDERED TRAVELLERS. 


519 


reach of the rifle. We forbear to follow the travellers 
in a week’s wandering over these barren wastes, where 
they suffered much from hunger, having to depend upon 
a few fish from the streams, and now and then a little 
dried salmon, or a dog, procured from some forlorn lodge 
of Shoshonies. 

Tired of these cheerless wastes, they left the banks of 
Snake Kiver on the 7th of September, under guidance 
of Mr. Miller, who having acquired some knowledge of 
the country during his trapping campaign, undertook to 
conduct them across the mountains by a better route 
than that by Fort Henry, and one more out of the range 
of the Blackfeet. He proved, however, but an indifferent 
guide, and they soon became bewildered among rugged 
hills and unknown streams, and burnt and barren praL 
ries. 

At length they came to a river on which Mr. Miller 
had trapped, and to which they gave his name; though, 
as before observed, we presume it to be the same called 
Bear Eiver, which empties itself into Lake Bonneville. 
Up this river and its branches they kept for two or three 
days, supporting themselves precariously upon fish. 
They soon found that they were in a dangerous neigh¬ 
borhood. On the 12th of September, having encamped 
early, they sallied forth with their rods to angle for their 
supper. On returning, they beheld a number of Indians 
prowling about their camp, whom, to their infinite dis¬ 
quiet, they soon perceived to be Upsarokas, or Crows. 


520 


ASTORIA. 


Their chief came forward with a confident air. He was a 
dark herculean fellow, full six feet four inches in height, 
with a mingled air of the ruffian and the rogue. He con¬ 
ducted himself peaceably, however, and despatched some 
of his people to their camp, which was somewhere in the 
neighborhood, from whence they returned with a most 
acceptable supply of buffalo meat. He now signified to 
Mr. Stuart that he was going to trade with the Snakes 
who reside on the west base of the mountains, below 
Henry’s Fort. Here they cultivate a delicate kind of to¬ 
bacco, much esteemed and sought after by the mountain 
tribes. There was a something sinister, however, in the 
look of this Indian, that inspired distrust. By degrees, 
the number of his people increased, until, by midnight, 
there were twenty-one of them about the camp, who be 
gan to be impudent and troublesome. The greatest un¬ 
easiness was now felt for the safety of the horses and 
effects, and every one kept vigilant watch throughout the 
night. 

The morning dawned, however, without any unpleasant 
occurrence, and Mr. Stuart, having purchased all the 
buffalo meat that the Crows had to spare, prepared to 
depart. His Indian acquaintances, however, were dis¬ 
posed for further dealings; and above all, anxious for a 
supply of gunpowder, for which they offered horses in 
exchange. Mr. Stuart declined to furnish them with the 
dangerous commodity. They became more importunate 
in their solicitations, until they met with a flat refusal. 


A CROW GIANT AND HIS GANG. 


521 


Tlie gigantic chief now stepped forward, assumed a 
swelling air, and, slapping himself upon the breast, gave 
Mr. Crooks to understand that he was a chief of great 
power and importance. He signified, further, that it was 
customary for great chiefs when they met, to make each 
other presents. He requested, therefore, that Mr. Stuart 
would alight, and give him the horse upon which he was 
mounted. This was a noble animal, of one of the wild 
races of the prairies; on which Mr. Stuart set great 
value ; he, of course, shook his head at the request of the 
Crow dignitary. Upon this the latter strode up to him, 
and taking hold of him, moved him backwards and for¬ 
wards in his saddle, as if to make him feel that he was 
a mere child within his grasp. Mr. Stuart preserved 
his calmness, and still shook his head. The chief then 
seized the bridle, and gave it a jerk that startled the 
horse, and nearly brought the rider to the ground. Mr. 
Stuart instantly drew forth a pistol, and presented it at 
the head of the bully-ruffian. In a twinkling his swag¬ 
gering was at an end, and he dodged behind his horse to 
escape the expected shot. As his subject Crows gazed 
on the affray from a little distance, Mr. Stuart ordered 
his men to level their rifles at them, but not to fire. 
The whole crew scampered among the bushes, and 
throwing themselves upon the ground, vanished from 
sight. 

The chieftain thus left alone, was confounded for an in¬ 
stant ; but, recovering himself with true Indian shrewd- 


522 


ASTORIA. 


ness, burst into a loud laugh, and affected to turn off the 
whole matter as a piece of pleasantry. Mr. Stuart by no 
means relished such equivocal joking, but it was not his 
policy to get into a quarrel; so he joined with the best 
grace he could assume in the merriment of the jocular 
giant; and, to console the latter for the refusal of the 
horse, made him a present of twenty charges of powder. 
They parted, according to all outward professions, the 
best friends in the world; it was evident, however, that 
nothing but the smallness of his own force, and the mar¬ 
tial array and alertness of the white men, had prevented 
the Crow chief from proceeding to open outrage. As it 
was, his worthy followers, in the course of their brief in¬ 
terview, had contrived to purloin a bag containing almost 
all the culinary utensils of the party. 

The travellers kept on their way due east, over a 
chain of hills. The recent rencontre showed them that 
they were now in a land of danger, subject to the wide 
roamings of a predacious tribe; nor, in fact, had they 
gone many miles, before they beheld sights calculated to 
inspire anxiety and alarm. From the summits of some 
of the loftiest mountains, in different directions, columns 
of smoke began to rise. These they concluded to be sig¬ 
nals made by the runners of the Crow chieftain, to sum¬ 
mon the stragglers of his band, so as to pursue them 
with greater force. Signals of this kind, made by out¬ 
runners from one central point, will rouse a wide circuit 
of the mountains in a wonderfully short space of time; 


WEARY BAYS AND WATCHFUL NIGHTS. 523 


and bring the straggling hunters and warriors to the 
standard of their chieftain. 

To keep as much as possible out of the way of these 
freebooters, Mr. Stuart altered his course to the north, 
and, quitting the main stream of Miller’s River, kept up 
a large branch that came in from the mountains. Here 
they encamped, after a fatiguing march of twenty-five 
miles. As the night drew on the horses were hobbled or 
fettered, and tethered close to the camp ; a vigilant watch 
was maintained until morning, and every one slept with 
his rifle on his arm. 

At sunrise, they were again on the march, still keeping 
to the north. They soon began to ascend the mountains, 
and occasionally had wide prospects over the surround¬ 
ing country. Not a sign of a Crow was to be seen; but 
this did not assure them of their security, well knowing 
the perseverance of these savages in dogging any party 
they intend to rob, and the stealthy way in which they 
can conceal their movements, keeping along ravines and 
defiles. After a mountain scramble of twenty-one miles, 
they encamped on the margin of a stream running to the 
north. 

In the evening there was an alarm of Indians, and 
every one was instantly on the alert. They proved to be 
three miserable Snakes, who were no sooner informed 
that a band of Crows was prowling in the neighborhood, 
than they made off with great signs of consternation. 

A couple more of weary days and watchful nights 


524 


ASTORIA. 


brought them to a strong and rapid stream, running due 
north, which they concluded to be one of the upper 
branches of Snake River. It was probably the same 
since called Salt River. 

They determined to bend their course down this river, 
as it would take them still further out of the dangerous 
neighborhood of the Crows. They then would strike 
upon Mr. Hunt’s track of the preceding autumn, and re¬ 
trace it across the mountains. The attempt to find a bet¬ 
ter route under guidance of Mr. Miller had cost them a 
large bend to the south; in resuming Mr. Hunt’s track, 
they would at least be sure of their road. They accord¬ 
ingly turned down along the course of this stream, and at 
the end of three days’ journey came to where it was 
joined by a larger river, and assumed a more impetuous 
character, raging and roaring among rocks and precipices. 
It proved, in fact, to be Mad River, already noted in the 
expedition of Mr. Hunt. On the banks of this river, they 
encamped on the 18th of September, at an early hour. 

Six days had now elapsed since their interview with 
the Crows; during that time they had come nearly a hun¬ 
dred and fifty miles to the north and west, without see¬ 
ing any signs of those marauders. They considered them¬ 
selves, therefore, beyond the reach of molestation, and 
began to relax in their vigilance, lingering occasionally 
for part of a day, where there was good pasturage. The 
poor horses needed repose. 

They had been urged on, by forced marches, over rug* 


A SURPRISE. 


525 


ged heights, among rocks and fallen timber, or over low 
swampy valleys, inundated by the labors of the beaver. 
These industrious animals abounded in all the moun¬ 
tain streams and water-courses, wherever there were wil¬ 
lows for their subsistence. Many of them they had so 
completely dammed up as to inundate the low grounds, 
making shallow pools or lakes, and extensive quagmires; 
by which the route of the travellers was often impeded. 

On the 19th of September, they rose at early dawn; 
some began to prepare breakfast, and others to arrange 
the packs preparatory to a march. The horses had been 
hobbled, but left at large to graze upon the adjacent pas¬ 
ture. Mr. Stuart was on the bank of a river, at a short 
distance from the camp, when he heard the alarm cry— 
“ Indians ! Indians!—to arms! to arms ! ” 

A mounted Crow galloped past the camp, bearing a red 
flag. He reined his steed on the summit of a neighbor¬ 
ing knoll, and waved his flaring banner. A diabolical 
yell now broke forth on the opposite side of the camp, 
beyond where the horses were grazing, and a small troop 
of savages came galloping up, whooping and making a 
terrific clamor. The horses took fright, and dashed 
across the camp in the direction of the standard-bearer, 
attracted by his waving flag. He instantly put spurs to 
his steed, and scoured off followed by the panic-stricken 
herd, their fright being increased by the yells of the sav¬ 
ages in their rear. 

At the first alarm, Mr. Stuart and his comrades had 


526 


ASTORIA. 


seized their rifles, and attempted to cut off the Indians 
who were pursuing the horses. Their attention was 
instantly distracted by whoops and yells in an opposite 
direction. 

They now apprehended that a reserve party was about 
to carry off their baggage. They ran to secure it. The 
reserve party, however, galloped by, whooping and yell¬ 
ing in triumph and derision. The last of them proved to 
be their commander, the identical giant joker already 
mentioned. He was not cast in the stern poetical mould 
of fashionable Indian heroism, but on the contrary, was 
grievously given to vulgar jocularity. As he passed Mr. 
Stuart and his companions, he checked his horse, raised 
himself in his saddle, and clapping his hand on the most 
insulting part of his body, uttered some jeering words, 
which, fortunately for their delicacy, they could not un¬ 
derstand. The rifle of Ben Jones was leveled in an in¬ 
stant, and he was on the point of whizzing a bullet into 
the target so tauntingly displayed. “ Not for your life ! 
not for your life ! ” exclaimed Mr. Stuart, “ you will bring 
destruction on us all! ” 

It was hard to restrain honest Ben, when the mark was 
so fair and the insult so foul. “O, Mr. Stuart,” exclaimed 
he, “ only let me have one crack at the infernal rascal, 
and you may keep all the pay that is due to me.” 

“ By heaven, if you fire,” cried Mr. Stuart, “ I’ll blow 
your brains out.” 

By this time the Indian was far out of reach, and had 


INDIAN LURKERS. 


527 


rejoined his men, and the whole dare-devil band, with 
the captured horses, scuttled off along the defiles, their 
red flag flaunting over head, and the rocks echoing to 
their whoops and yells, and demoniac laughter. 

The unhorsed travellers gazed after them in silent 
mortification and despair; yet Mr. Stuart could not but 
admire the style and spirit with which the whole exploit 
had been managed, and pronounced it one of the most 
daring and intrepid actions he had ever heard of among 
Indians. The whole number of the Crows did not ex¬ 
ceed twenty. In this way a small gang of lurkers will 
hurry off the cavalry of a large war party, for when once 
a drove of horses are seized with panic, they become 
frantic, and nothing short of broken necks can stop 
them. 

No one was more annoyed by this unfortunate occur¬ 
rence than Ben Jones. He declared he would actually 
have given his whole arrears of pay, amounting to up¬ 
wards of a year’s wages, rather than be balked of such a 
capital shot. Mr. Stuart, however, represented what 
might have been the consequence of so rash an act. Life 
for life is the Indian maxim. The whole tribe would have 
made common cause in avenging the death of a warrior. 
The party were but seven dismounted men, with a wide 
mountain region to traverse, infested by these people, 
and which might all be roused by signal fires. In fact, 
the conduct of the band of marauders in question, 
showed the perseverance of savages when once they have 


528 


ASTORIA . 


fixed their minds upon a project. These fellows had evi¬ 
dently been silently and secretly dogging the party for a 
week past, and a distance of a hundred and fifty miles, 
keeping out of sight by day, lurking about the encamp¬ 
ment at night, watching all their movements, and waiting 
for a favorable moment when they should be off their 
guard. The menace of Mr. Stuart, in their first inter¬ 
view, to shoot the giant chief with his pistol, and the 
fright caused among the warriors by presenting the 
rifles, had probably added the stimulus of pique to their 
usual horse-stealing propensities. And in this mood of 
mind they would doubtless have followed the party 
throughout their whole course over the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains, rather than be disappointed in their scheme. 


CHAPTER XLVI 


TRAVELLERS UNHORSED.—PEDESTRIAN PREPARATIONS.—PRYING SPIES.—BON¬ 
FIRES OF BAGGAGE.—A MARCH ON FOOT.—RAFTING A RIVER.—THE WOUNDED 
ELK.—INDIAN TRAILS.—WILLFUL CONDUCT OF MR. M’LELLAN. — GRAND 
PROSPECT FROM A MOUNTAIN.—DISTANT CRATERS OF VOLCANOES.—ILLNESS 
OF MR. CROOKS. 

S jEW reverses in this changeful world are more 
complete and disheartening than that of a trav- 
==== _ =i eller, suddenly unhorsed, in the midst of the 
wilderness. Our unfortunate travellers contemplated 
their situation, for a time, in perfect dismay. A long 
journey over rugged mountains and immeasurable plains 
lay before them, which they must painfully perform on 
foot, and everything necessary for subsistence or defense 
must be carried on their shoulders. Their dismay, how¬ 
ever, was but transient, and they immediately set to 
work, with that prompt expediency produced by the exi¬ 
gencies of the wilderness, to fit themselves for the change 
in their condition. 

Their first attention was to select from their baggage 
such articles as were indispensable to their journey; to 
make them up into convenient packs, and to deposit the 
residue in caches. The whole day was consumed in 
34 529 



530 


ASTORIA . 


these occupations; at night, they made a scanty meal of 
their remaining provisions, and lay down to sleep with 
heavy hearts. In the morning, they were up and about 
at an early hour, and began to prepare their knapsacks 
for a march, while Ben Jones repaired to an old beaver 
trap which he had set in the river bank at some little 
distance from the camp. He was rejoiced to find a mid¬ 
dle-sized beaver there, sufficient for a morning’s meal to 
his hungry comrades. On his way back with his prize, 
he observed two heads peering over the edge of an im¬ 
pending cliff, several hundred feet high, which he sup¬ 
posed to be a couple of wolves. As he continued on, he 
now and then cast his eye up; the heads were still there, 
looking down with fixed and watchful gaze. A suspicion 
now flashed across his mind that they might be Indian 
scouts; and, had they not been far above the reach of 
his rifle, he would undoubtedly have regaled them with a 
shot. 

On arriving at the camp, he directed the attention of 
his comrades to these aerial observers. The same idea 
was at first entertained, that they were wolves ; but their 
immovable watchfulness soon satisfied every one that 
they were Indians. It was concluded that they were 
watching the movements of the party, to discover their 
place of concealment of such articles as they would be 
compelled to leave behind. There was no likelihood that 
the caches would escape the search of such keen eyes 
and experienced rummagers, and the idea was intolera- 


DOWN MAD RIVER. 


531 


ble, that any more booty should fall into their hands. 
To disappoint them, therefore, the travellers stripped the 
caches of the articles deposited there, and collecting to¬ 
gether everything that they could not carry away with 
them, made a bonfire of all that would burn, and threw 
the rest into the river. There was a forlorn satisfaction 
in thus balking the Crows, by the destruction of their 
own property; and, having thus gratified their pique, 
they shouldered their packs, about ten o’clock in the 
morning, and set out on their pedestrian wayfaring. 

The route they took was down along the banks of Mad 
River. This stream makes its way through the defiles of 
the mountains, into the plain below Fort Henry, where 
it terminates in Snake River. Mr. Stuart was in hopes 
of meeting with Snake encampments in the plain, where 
he might procure a couple of horses to transport the 
baggage. In such case, he intended to resume his east¬ 
ern course across the mountains, and endeavor to reach 
the Cheyenne River before winter. Should he fail, how¬ 
ever, of obtaining horses, he would probably be com¬ 
pelled to winter on the Pacific side of the mountains, 
somewhere on the head waters of the Spanish or Colo¬ 
rado River. 

With all the care that had been observed in taking 
nothing with them that was not absolutely necessary, the 
poor pedestrians were heavily laden, and their burdens 
added to the fatigues of their rugged road. They suf¬ 
fered much, too, from hunger The trout they caught 


532 


A&TORIJL 


were too pool to yield much nourishment; their main 
dependence, therefore, was upon an old beaver trap, 
which they had providentially retained. Whenever they 
were fortunate enough to entrap a beaver, it was cut up 
immediately and distributed, that each man might carry 
his share. 

After two days of toilsome travel, during which they 
made but eighteen miles, they stopped on the 21st, to 
build two rafts on which to cross to the north side of the 
river. On these they embarked, on the following morn¬ 
ing, four on one raft, and three on the other, and pushed 
boldly from shore. Finding the rafts sufficiently firm 
and steady to withstand the rough and rapid water, they 
changed their minds, and instead of crossing, ventured to 
float down with the current. The river was, in general, 
very rapid, and from one to two hundred yards in width, 
winding in every direction through mountains of hard 
black rock, covered with pines and cedars. The moun¬ 
tains to the east of the river were spurs of the Rocky 
range, and of great magnitude; those on the west were 
little better than hills, bleak and barren, or scantily 
clothed with stunted grass. 

Mad River, though deserving its name from the im¬ 
petuosity of its current, was free from rapids and cas¬ 
cades, and flowed on in a single channel between gravel 
banks, often fringed with cotton-wood and dwarf willows 
in abundance. These gave sustenance to immense quan¬ 
tities of beaver, so that the voyagers found no difficulty 


THE WOUNDED ELK. 


533 


in procuring food. Ben Jones, also, killed a fallow deer 
and a wolverine, and as they were enabled to carry the 
carcasses on their rafts, their larder was well supplied. 
Indeed, they might have occasionally shot beavers that 
were swimming in the river as they floated by, but they 
humanely spared their lives, being in no want of meat 
at the time. In this way, they kept down the river for 
three days, drifting with the current and encamping on 
land at night, when they drew up their rafts on shore. 
Towards the evening of the third day, they came to a 
little island on which they descried a gang of elk. Ben 
Jones landed, and was fortunate enough to wound one, 
which immediately took to the water, but, being unable 
to stem the current, drifted above a mile, when it was 
overtaken and drawn to shore. As a storm was gathering, 
they now encamped on the margin of the river, where 
they remained all the next day, sheltering themselves as 
well as they could from the rain and snow—a sharp fore¬ 
taste of the impending winter. During their encamp¬ 
ment, they employed themselves in jerking a part of the 
elk for future supply. In cutting up the carcass, they 
found that the animal had been wounded by hunters, 
about a week previously, an arrow head and a musket 
ball remaining in the wounds. In the wilderness, every 
trivial circumstance is a matter of anxious speculation. 
The Snake Indians have no guns; the elk, therefore, 
could not have been wounded by one of them. They 
were on the borders of the country infested by the 


534 


ASTORIA. 


Blackfeet, wlio carry fire-arms* It was concluded, there¬ 
fore, that the elk had been hunted by some of that wan¬ 
dering and hostile tribe, who, of course, must be in the 
neighborhood. The idea put an end to the transient 
solace they had enjoyed in the comparative repose and 
abundance of the river. 

For three days longer they continued to navigate with 
their rafts. The recent storm had rendered the weather 
extremely cold. They had now floated down the river 
about ninety-one miles, when, finding the mountains on 
the right diminished to moderate sized hills, they landed, 
and prepared to resume their journey on foot. Accord¬ 
ingly, having spent a day in preparations, making moc¬ 
casins, and parceling out their jerked meat in packs of 
twenty pounds to each man, they turned their backs 
upon the river on the 29th of September and struck of? 
to the northeast, keeping along the southern skirt of the 
mountain on which Henry’s Fort was situated. 

Their march was slow and toilsome; part of the time 
through an alluvial bottom, thickly grown with cotton¬ 
wood, hawthorn, and willows, and part of the time over 
rough hills. Three antelopes came within shot, but they 
dared not fire at them, lest the report of their rifles 
should betray them to the Blackfeet. In the course of 
the day, they came upon a large horse-track apparently 
about three weeks old, and in the evening encamped on 
the banks of a small stream, on a spot which had been 
the camping place of this same band. 


INDIAN TRAILS. 


535 


On the following morning they still observed the 
Indian track, but after a time they came to where it 
separated in every direction, and was lost. This showed 
that the band had dispersed in various hunting parties, 
and was, in all probability, still in the neighborhood; it 
was necessary, therefore, to proceed with the utmost cau¬ 
tion. They kept a vigilant eye as they marched, upon 
every height where a scout might be posted, and scanned 
the solitary landscapes and the distant ravines, to ob¬ 
serve any column of smoke ; but nothing of the kind was 
to be seen; all was indescribably stern and lifeless. 

Towards evening they came to where there were sev¬ 
eral hot springs, strongly impregnated with iron and sul¬ 
phur, and sending up a volume of vapor that tainted the 
surrounding atmosphere, and might be seen at the dis¬ 
tance of a couple of miles. 

Near to these they encamped, in a deep gully, which 
afforded some concealment. To their great concern, Mr. 
Crooks, who had been indisposed for the two preceding 
days, had a violent fever in the night. 

Shortly after daybreak they resumed their march. On 
emerging from the glen, a consultation was held as to 
their course. Should they continue round the skirt of 
the mountain, they would be in danger of falling in with 
the scattered parties of Blackfeet, who were probably 
hunting in the plain. It was thought most advisable, 
therefore, to strike directly across the mountain, since 
the route, though rugged and difficult, would be most se- 


536 


ASTORIA . 


cure. This counsel was indignantly derided by M’Lellau 
as pusillanimous. Hot-headed and impatient at all times, 
he had been rendered irascible by the fatigues of the 
journey, and the condition of his feet, which were chafed 
and sore. He could not endure the idea of encountering 
the difficulties of the mountain, and swore he would 
rather face all the Blackfeet in the country. He was 
overruled, however, and the party began to ascend the 
mountain, striving, with the ardor and emulation of young 
men, who should be first up. M’Lellan, who was double 
the age of some of his companions, soon began to lose 
breath, and fall in the rear. In the distribution of bur¬ 
dens, it was his turn to carry the old beaver trap. Piqued 
and irritated, he suddenly came to a halt, swore he would 
carry it no further, and jerked it half-way down the hill. 
He was offered in place of it a package of dried meat, but 
this he scornfully threw upon the ground. They might 
carry it, he said, who needed it; for his part, he could 
provide his daily bread with his rifle. He concluded by 
flinging off from the party, and keeping along the skirts 
of the mountain, leaving those, he said, to climb rocks, 
who were afraid to face Indians. It was in vain that Mr. 
Stuart represented to him the rashness of his conduct, 
and the dangers to which he exposed himself: he rejected 
such counsel as craven. It was equally useless to repre¬ 
sent the dangers to which he subjected his companions; 
as he could be discovered at a great distance on those 
naked plains, and the Indians, seeing him, would know 


GRAND PROSPECT FROM A MOUNTAIN. 537 


that there must be other white men within reach. M’Lel- 
lan turned a deaf ear to every remonstrance, and kept on 
his willful way. 

It seems a strange instance of perverseness in this man 
thus to fling himself off alone, in a savage region, where 
solitude itself was dismal, and every encounter with his 
fellow-man full of peril. Such, however, is the hardness 
of spirit, and the insensibility to danger, that grow upon 
men in the wilderness. M’Lellan, moreover, was a man 
of peculiar temperament, ungovernable in his will, of a 
courage that absolutely knew no fear, and somewhat of a 
braggart spirit, that took a pride in doing desperate and 
hair-brained things. 

Mr. Stuart and his party found the passages of the 
mountain somewhat difficult, on account of the snow, 
which in many places was of considerable depth, though 
it was now but the 1st of October. They crossed the 
summit early in the afternoon, and beheld below them a 
plain about twenty miles wide, bounded on the opposite 
side by their old acquaintances, the Pilot Knobs, those 
towering mountains which had served Mr. Hunt as 
landmarks in part of his route of the preceding year. 
Through the intermediate plain wandered a river about 
fifty yards wide, sometimes gleaming in open day, but 
oftener running through willowed banks, which marked 
its serpentine course. 

Those of the party who had been across these moun¬ 
tains, pointed out much of the bearings of the country to 


538 


ASTORIA. 


Mr. Stuart. They showed him in what direction must 
lie the deserted post called Henry’s Fort, where they 
had abandoned their horses and embarked in canoes, and 
they informed him that the stream which wandered 
through the plain below them, fell into Henry Biver, half 
way between the fort and the mouth of Mad or Snake 
Biver. The character of all this mountain region was 
decidedly volcanic; and to the northwest, between 
Henry’s Fort and the source of the Missouri, Mr. Stuart 
observed several very high peaks covered with snow, 
from two of which smoke ascended in considerable vol¬ 
umes, apparently from craters in a state of eruption. 

On their way down the mountain, when they had 
reached the skirts, they descried M’Lellan at a distance, 
in the advance, traversing the plain. Whether he saw 
them or not, he showed no disposition to rejoin them, 
but pursued his sullen and solitary way. 

After descending into the plain, they kept on about six 
miles, until they reached the little river, which was here 
about knee deep, and richly fringed with willow. Here 
they encamped for the night. At this encampment the 
fever of Mr. Crooks increased to such a degree that it 
was impossible for him to travel. Some of the men were 
strenuous for Mr. Stuart to proceed without him, urging 
the imminent danger they were exposed to by delay in 
that unknown and barren region, infested by the most 
treacherous and inveterate foes. They represented that 
the season was rapidly advancing ; the weather for some 


ILLNESS OF MR. CROOKS. 


539 


days had been extremely cold; the mountains were al¬ 
ready almost impassable from snow, and would soon pre¬ 
sent effectual barriers. Their provisions were exhausted; 
there was no game to be seen, and they did not dare to 
use their rifles, through fear of drawing upon them the 
Blackfeet. 

The picture thus presented, was too true to be con¬ 
tradicted, and made a deep impression on the mind of 
Mr. Stuart; but the idea of abandoning a fellow being, 
and a comrade, in such a forlorn situation, was too re¬ 
pugnant to his feelings to be admitted for an instant. 
He represented to the men that the malady of Mr. 
Crooks could not be of long duration, and that, in all 
probability, he would be able to travel in the course of a 
few days. It was with great difficulty, however, that he 
prevailed upon them to abide the event. 


CHAPTER XL VII. 


BITN JONES AND A GRIZZLY BEAR.—ROCKY HEIGHTS.—MOUNTAIN TORRENTS.—* 
TRACES OF M’LELLAN.—VOLCANIC REMAINS.—MINERAL EARTHS.—PECULIAR 
CLAY FOR POTTERY.—DISMAL PLIGHT OF M’LELLAN.—STARVATION.—SHOCK¬ 
ING PROPOSITION OF A DESPERATE MAN.—A BROKEN-DOWN BULL.—A RAV¬ 
ENOUS MEAL.—INDIAN GRAVES.—HOSPITABLE SNAKES.—A FORLORN ALLI¬ 
ANCE. 


S the travellers were now in a dangerous neigh¬ 
borhood, where the report of a rifle might 
bring the savages upon them, they had to de¬ 
pend upon their old beaver-trap for subsistence. The 
little river on which they were encamped gave many 
“ beaver signs,” and Ben Jones set off at daybreak, along 
the willowed banks, to find a proper trapping-place. As 
he was making his way among the thickets, with his trap 
on his shoulder and his rifle in his hand, he heard a 
crushing sound, and turning, beheld a huge grizzly bear 
advancing upon him, with terrific growl. The sturdy 
Kentuckian was not to be intimidated by man or mon¬ 
ster. Leveling his rifle, he pulled the trigger. The bear 
was wounded, but not mortally: instead, however, of 
rushing upon his assailant, as is generally the case with 
this kind of bear, he retreated into the bushes. Jones 



540 








JOYFUL NEWS. 


Mi 


followed him for some distance, but with suitable cau¬ 
tion, and Bruin effected his escape. 

As there was every prospect of a detention of some 
days in this place, and as the supplies of the beaver-trap 
were too precarious to be depended upon, it became ab¬ 
solutely necessary to run some risk of discovery by hunt¬ 
ing in the neighborhood. Ben Jones, therefore, obtained 
permission to range with his rifle some distance from the 
camp, and set off to beat up the river banks, in defiance 
of bear or Blackfeet. 

He returned in great spirits in the course of a few 
hours, having come upon a gang of elk about six miles 
off, and killed five. This was joyful news, and the party 
immediately moved forward to the place where he had 
left the carcasses. They were obliged to support Mr. 
Crooks the whole distance, for he was unable to walk. 
Here they remained for two or three days, feasting 
heartily on elk meat, and drying as much as they would 
be able to carry away with them. 

By the 5th of October, some simple prescriptions, 
together with an “ Indian sweat,” had so far benefited 
Mr. Crooks, that he was enabled to move about; they 
therefore, set forward slowly, dividing his pack and 
accoutrements among them, and made a creeping day’s 
progress of eight miles south. Their route for the 
most part lay through swamps caused by the industrious 
labors of the beaver; for this little animal had dammed 
up numerous small streams, issuing from the Pilot Knob 


542 


ASTORIA. 


Mountains, so that the low grounds on their borders were 
completely inundated. In the course of their march 
they killed a grizzly bear, with fat on its flanks upwards 
of three inches in thickness. This was an acceptable 
addition to their stock of elk meat. The next day Mr. 
Crooks was sufficiently recruited in strength to be able to 
carry his rifle and pistols, and they made a march of 
seventeen miles along the borders of the plain. 

Their journey daily became more toilsome, and their 
sufferings more severe, as they advanced. Keeping up 
the channel of a river, they traversed the rugged summit 
of the Pilot Knob Mountain, covered with snow nine 
inches deep. For several days they continued, bending 
their course as much as possible to the east, over a suc¬ 
cession of rocky heights, deep valleys, and rapid streams. 
Sometimes their dizzy path lay along the margin of per¬ 
pendicular precipices, several hundred feet in height, 
where a single false step might precipitate them into the 
rocky bed of a torrent which roared below. Not the 
least part of their weary task was the fording of the nu¬ 
merous windings and branchings of the mountain rivers, 
all boisterous in their currents, and icy cold. 

Hunger was added to their other sufferings, and soon 
became the keenest. The small supply of bear and elk 
meat which they had been able to carry, in addition to 
their previous burdens, served but for a short time. In 
their anxiety to struggle forward, they had but little time 
to hunt, and scarce any game in their path. For three 


PECULIAR CLAY FOR POTTERY. 


543 


days they had nothing to eat but a small duck, and a few 
poor trout. They occasionally saw numbers of the ante¬ 
lopes, and tried every art to get within shot; but the 
timid animals were more than commonly wild, and after 
tantalizing the hungry hunters for a time, bounded away 
beyond all chance of pursuit. At length they were for¬ 
tunate enough to kill one : it was extremely meagre, and 
yielded but a scanty supply; but on this they subsisted 
for several days. 

On the 11th, they encamped on a small stream, near 
the foot of the Spanish River Mountain. Here they met 
with traces of that wayward and solitary being, M’Lellan* 
who was still keeping on ahead of them through these 
lonely mountains. He had encamped the night before 
on this stream ; they found the embers of the fire by 
which he had slept, and the remains of a miserable wolf 
on which he had supped. It was evident he had suf¬ 
fered, like themselves, the pangs of hunger, though he 
had fared better at this encampment; for they had not a 
mouthful to eat. 

The next day, they rose hungry and alert, and set out 
with the dawn to climb the mountain, which was steep 
and difficult. Traces of volcanic eruptions were to be 
seen in various directions. There was a species of clay 
also to be met with, out of which the Indians manufac¬ 
ture pots and jars, and dishes. It is very fine and light, 
of an agreeable smell, and of a brown color spotted with 
yellow, and dissolves readily in the mouth. Vessels 


544 


ASTORIA. 


manufactured of it are said to impart a pleasant smell 
and flavor to any liquids. These mountains abound also 
with mineral earths, or chalks of various colors; espe¬ 
cially two kinds of ochre, one a pale, the other a bright 
red, like vermilion; much used by the Indians, in paint¬ 
ing their bodies. 

About noon, the travellers reached the “ drains ” and 
brooks that formed the head waters of the river, and later 
in the day descended to where the main body, a shallow 
stream, about a hundred and sixty yards wide, poured 
through its mountain valley. 

Here the poor famishing wanderers had expected to 
find buffalo in abundance, and had fed their hungry 
hopes during their scrambling toil, with the thoughts of 
roasted ribs, juicy humps, and broiled marrow bones. To 
their great disappointment, the river banks were de¬ 
serted ; a few old tracks, showed where a herd of bulls 
had some time before passed along, but not a horn nor 
hump was to be seen in the sterile landscape. A few an¬ 
telopes looked down upon them from the brow of a crag, 
but flitted away out of sight at the least approach of the 
hunter. 

In the most starving mood they kept for several miles 
further, along the bank of the river, seeking for “ beaver 
signs.” Finding some, they encamped in the vicinity, and 
Ben Jones immediately proceeded to set the trap. They 
had scarce come to a halt, when they perceived a large 
smoke at some distance to the southwest The sight was 


STARVATION. 


545 


hailed with joy, tor they trusted it might rise from some 
Indian camp, where they could procure something to eat, 
and the dread of starvation had now overcome even the 
terror of the Blackfeei Le Clerc, one of the Canadians, 
was instantly despatched by Mr. Stuart, to reconnoitre ; 
and the travellers sat up till a late hour, watching and 
listening for his return, hoping he might bring them 
food. Midnight arrived, but Le Clerc did not make his 
appearance, and they laid down once more supperless to 
sleep, comforting themselves with the hopes that their 
old beaver trap might furnish them with a breakfast. 

At daybreak they .hastened with famished eagerness to 
the trap. They found in it the fore paw of a beaver, the 
sight of which tantalized their hunger, and added to 
their dejection. They resumed their journey with flag¬ 
ging spirits, but had not gone far when they perceived 
Le Clerc approaching at a distance. They hastened to 
meet him, in hopes of tidings of good cheer. He 
had none to give them ; but news of that strange wan¬ 
derer, M’Lellan. The smoke had risen from his encamp¬ 
ment, which took fire while he was at a little distance 
from it fishing. Le Clerc found him in forlorn condition. 
His fishing had been unsuccessful. During twelve days 
that he had been wandering alone through these savage 
mountains, he had found scarce anything to eat. He 
had been ill, wayworn, sick at heart, still he had kept 
forward; but now his strength and his stubbornness were 
exhausted. He expressed his satisfaction at hearing that 
35 


546 


ASTORIA. 


Mr. Stuart and his party were near, and said he would 
wait at his camp for their arrival, in hopes they would 
give him something to eat, for without food he declared 
he should not be able to proceed much further. 

When the party reached the place, they found the poor 
fellow lying on a parcel of withered grass, wasted to a 
perfect skeleton, and so feeble that he could scarce raise 
his head or speak. The presence of his old comrades 
seemed to revive him; but they had no food to give him, 
for they themselves were almost starving. They urged 
him to rise and accompany them, but he shook his head. 
It was all in vain, he said; there was no prospect of their 
getting speedy relief, and without it he should perish by 
the way; he might as well, therefore, stay and die where 
he was. At length, after much persuasion, they got him 
upon his legs; his rifle and other effects were shared 
among them, and he was cheered and aided forward. In 
this way they proceeded for seventeen miles, over a level 
plain of sand, until seeing a few antelopes in the dis¬ 
tance, they encamped on the margin of a small stream. 
All now that were capable of the exertion, turned out to 
hunt for a meal. Their efforts were fruitless, and after 
dark they returned to *heir camp, famished almost to 
desperation. 

As they were preparing for the third time to lay down 
to sleep without a mouthful to eat, Le Clerc, one of the 
Canadians, gaunt and wild with hunger, approached Mr. 
Stuart with his gun in his hand. “ It was all in vain / 1 


A HORRIBLE PROPOSITION. 


547 


he said, “ to attempt to proceed any further without food. 
They had a barren plain before them, three or four days’ 
journey in extent, on which nothing was to be procured. 
They must all perish before they could get to the end of 
it. It was better, therefore, that one should die to save 
the rest.” He proposed, therefore, that they should cast 
lots; adding, as an inducement for Mr. Stuart to assent 
to the proposition, that he, as leader of the party, should 
be exempted. 

Mr. Stuart shuddered at the horrible proposition, and 
endeavored to reason with the man, but his words were 
unavailing. At length, snatching up his rifle, he threat¬ 
ened to shoot him on the spot if he persisted. The fam¬ 
ished wretch dropped on his knees, begged pardon in the 
most abject terms, and promised never again to offend 
him with such a suggestion. 

Quiet being restored to the forlorn encampment, each 
one sought repose. Mr. Stuart, however, was so ex¬ 
hausted by the agitation of the past scene, acting upon 
his emaciated frame, that he could scarce crawl to his 
miserable couch; where, notwithstanding his fatigues, he 
passed a sleepless night, revolving upon their dreary 
situation, and the desperate prospect before them. 

Before daylight the next morning, they were up and on 
their way; they had nothing to detain them; no break¬ 
fast to prepare, and to linger was to perish. They pro¬ 
ceeded, however, but slowly, for all were faint and weak. 
Here and there they passed the skulls and bones of 


548 


ABTOPJA. 


buffaloes, which showed that these animals must hare 
been hunted here during the past season; the sight of 
these bones served only to mock their misery. After 
travelling about nine miles along the plain, they ascended 
a range of hills, and had scarcely gone two miles further, 
when, to their great joy, they discovered “ an old run¬ 
down buffalo bull; ” the laggard probably of some herd 
that had been hunted and harassed through the moun¬ 
tains. They now all stretched themselves out to encom¬ 
pass and make sure of this solitary animal, for their 
lives depended upon their success. After considerable 
trouble and infinite anxiety, they at length succeeded in 
killing him. He was instantly flayed and cut up, and so 
ravenous was their hunger, that they devoured some of 
the flesh raw. The residue they carried to a brook 
near by, where they encamped, lit a fire, and began to 
cook. 

Mr. Stuart was fearful that in their famished state they 
would eat to excess and injure themselves. He caused a 
soup to be made of some of the meat, and that each 
should take a quantity of it as a prelude to his supper. 
This may have had a beneficial effect, for though they 
sat up the greater part of the night, cooking and cram¬ 
ming, no one suffered any inconvenience. 

The next morning the feasting was resumed, and about 
mid-day, feeling somewhat recruited and refreshed, they 
set out on their journey with renovated spirits, shaping 
their course towards a mountain, the summit of which 


A SINGULAR LODGE. 


549 


they saw towering in the east, and near to which they 
expected to find the head waters of the Missouri. 

As they proceeded, they continued to see the skeletons 
of buffaloes scattered about the plain in every direction, 
which showed that there had been much hunting here 
by the Indians in the recent season. Further on they 
crossed a large Indian trail forming a deep path, about 
fifteen days old, which went in a north direction. They 
concluded it to have been made by some numerous band 
of Crows, who had hunted in this country for the greater 
part of the summer. 

On the following day they forded a stream of consid¬ 
erable magnitude, with banks clothed with pine trees. 
Among these they found the traces of a large Indian 
camp, which had evidently been the headquarters of a 
hunting expedition, from the great quantities of buffalo 
bones strewed about the neighborhood. The camp had 
apparently been abandoned about a month. 

In the centre was a singular lodge one hundred and 
fifty feet in circumference, supported by the trunks of 
twenty trees, about twelve inches in diameter and forty- 
four feet long. Across these were laid branches of pine 
and willow trees, so as to yield a tolerable shade. At 
the west end, immediately opposite to the door, three 
bodies lay interred with their feet towards the east. At 
the head of each grave was a branch of red cedar firmly 
planted in the ground. At the foot was a large buffalo’s 
skull, painted black. Savage ornaments were suspended 


550 


ASTORIA . 


in various parts of the edifice, and a great number of 
children s moccasins. From the magnitude of this build¬ 
ing, and the time and labor that must have been expended 
in erecting it, the bodies which it contained were proba¬ 
bly those of noted warriors and hunters. 

The next day, October 17th, they passed two large 
tributary streams of the Spanish River. They took their 
rise in the Wind River Mountains, which ranged along to 
the east, stupendously high and rugged, composed of vast 
masses of black rock, almost destitute of wood, and cov¬ 
ered in many places with snow. This day they saw a 
few buffalo bulls, and some antelopes, but could hot kill 
any; and their stock of provisions began to grow scanty 
as well as poor. 

On the 18th, after crossing a mountain ridge, and trav¬ 
ersing a plain, they waded one of the branches of Span¬ 
ish River, and on ascending its bank, met with about a 
hundred and thirty Snake Indians. They were friendly 
in their demeanor, and conducted them to their encamp¬ 
ment, which was about three miles distant. It consisted 
of about forty wigwams, constructed principally of pine 
branches. The Snakes, like most of their nation, were 
very poor; the marauding Crows, in their late excursion 
through the country, had picked this unlucky band to 
the very bone, carrying off their horses, several of their 
squaws, and most of their effects. In spite of their 
poverty, they were hospitable in the extreme, and made 
the hungry strangers welcome to their cabins. A few 


FRIENDLY SNAKES. 


551 


trinkets procured from them a supply of buffalo meat, 
and of leather for moccasins, of which the party were 
greatly in need. The most valuable prize obtained from 
them, however, was a horse; it was a sorry old animal 
in truth, but it was the only one that remained to the 
poor fellows, after the fell swoop of the Crows; yet this 
they were prevailed upon to part with to their guests 
for a pistol, an axe, a knife, and a few other trifling 
articles. 

They had doleful stories to tell of the Crows, who were 
encamped on a river at no great distance to the east, and 
were in such force that they dared not venture to seek 
any satisfaction for their outrages, or to get back a horse 
or squaw. They endeavored to excite the indignation ot 
their visitors by accounts of robberies and murders com¬ 
mitted on lonely white hunters and trappers by Crows 
and Blackfeet. Some of these were exaggerations of the 
outrages already mentioned, sustained by some of the 
scattered members of Mr. Hunt’s expedition; others were 
in all probability sheer fabrications, to which the Snakes 
seem to have been a little prone. Mr. Stuart assured 
them that the day was not far distant when the whites 
Would make their power to be felt throughout that 
country, and take signal vengeance on the perpetrators of 
these misdeeds. The Snakes expressed great joy at the 
intelligence, and offered their services to aid the righte¬ 
ous cause, brightening at the thoughts of taking the field 
with such potent allies, and doubtless anticipating their 


552 


ASTORIA. 


turn at stealing horses and abducting squaws. Their 
offers, of course, were accepted; the calumet of peace 
was produced, and the two forlorn powers smoked eternal 
friendship between themselves, and vengeance upon their 
common spoilers, the Crows. 


CHAPTER XLVm 


EPANI8H RiVBR SCENERY.—TRAIL OF CROW INDIANS.—A SNOW-STORM.—A EOU$* 
INQ FIRE AND A BUFFALO FEAST.—A PLAIN OF SALT.—CLIMBING A MOUN¬ 
TAIN. VOLCANIC SUMMIT.—EXTINGUISHED CRATER.—MARINE SHELLS.— 
ENCAMPMENT ON A PRAIRIE.—SUCCESSFUL HUNTING.—GOOD CHEER.—ROMAN¬ 
TIC SCENERY.—ROCKY DEFILE.—FOAMING RAPIDS.—THE FIERY NARROWS. 



Y sunrise on the following morning (October 
19th), the travellers had loaded their old horse 
with buffalo meat, sufficient for five days’ pro¬ 
visions, and, taking leave of their new allies, the poor, 
but hospitable Snakes, set forth in somewhat better spir¬ 
its, though the increasing cold of the weather, and the 
sight of the snowy mountains which they had yet to trav¬ 
erse, were enough to chill their very hearts. The coun¬ 
try along this branch of the Spanish River, as far as they 
could see, was perfectly level, bounded by ranges of lofty 
mountains, both to the east and west They proceeded 
about three miles to the south, where they came again 
upon the large trail of Crow Indians, which they had 
crossed four days previously, made, no doubt, by the 
same marauding band that had plundered the Snakes; 
and which, according to the account of the latter, was 
now encamped on a stream to the eastward. The trail 

553 





554 


ASTORIA. 


kept on to the southeast* and was so well beaten by horse 
and foot, that they supposed at least a hundred lodges 
had passed along it. As it formed, therefore, a conven¬ 
ient highway, and ran in a proper direction, they turned 
into it, and determined to keep along it as far as safety 
would permit: as the Crow encampment must be some 
distance off, and it was not likely those savages would 
return upon their steps. They travelled forward, there¬ 
fore, all that day, in the track of their dangerous prede¬ 
cessors, which led them across mountain streams, and 
long ridges, and through narrow valleys, all tending gen¬ 
erally towards the southeast. The wind blew coldly 
from the northeast, with occasional flurries of snow, 
which made them encamp early, on the sheltered banks 
of a brook. The two Canadians, Vallee and Le Clerc, 
killed a young buffalo bull in the evening, which was in 
good condition, and afforded them a plentiful supply of 
fresh beef. They loaded their spits, therefore, and 
crammed their camp kettle with meat, and while the 
wind whistled, and the snow whirled around them, hud¬ 
dled round a rousing fire, basked in its warmth, and 
comforted both soul and body with a hearty and invigor¬ 
ating meal. No enjoyments have greater zest than these, 
snatched in the very midst of difficulty and danger; and 
it is probable the poor wayworn and weather-beaten 
travellers relished these creature comforts the more 
highly from the surrounding desolation, and the danger 
ous proximity of the Crows. 


SALT SPRINGS. 


555 


The snow which had fallen in the night made it late in 
the morning before the party loaded their solitary pack- 
horse, and resumed their march. They had not gone far 
before the Crow trace which they were following changed 
its direction, and bore to the north of east. They had 
already begun to feel themselves on dangerous ground in 
keeping along it, as they might be descried by some 
scouts and spies of that race of Xshmaelites, whose pre¬ 
datory life required them to be constantly on the alert. 
On seeing the trace turn so much to the north, therefore, 
they abandoned it, and kept on their course to the south¬ 
east for eighteen miles, through a beautifully undulating 
country, having the main chain of mountains on the left, 
and a considerably elevated ridge on the right. Here the 
mountain ridge which divides Wind Eiver from the head 
waters of the Columbia and Spanish Eivers, ends abrupt¬ 
ly, and winding to the north of east, becomes the dividing 
barrier between a branch of the Big Horn and Cheyenne 
Eivers, and those head waters which flow into the Mis¬ 
souri below the Sioux country. 

The ridge which lay on the right of the travellers hav¬ 
ing now become very low, they passed over it, and came 
into a level plain, about ten miles in circumference, and 
incrusted to the depth of a foot or eighteen inches with 
salt as white as snow. This is furnished by numerous 
salt springs of limpid water, which are continually well¬ 
ing up, overflowing their borders, and forming beautiful 
crystallizations. The Indian tribes of the interior are 


556 


ASTORIA. 


excessively fond of this salt, and repair to the valley to 
collect it, but it is held in distaste by the tribes of the 
sea-coast, who will eat nothing that has been cured or 
seasoned by it. 

This evening they encamped on the banks of a small 
stream, in the open prairie. The northeast wind was 
keen and cutting; they had nothing wherewith to make 
a fire, but a scanty growth of sage, or wormwood, and 
were fain to wrap themselves up in their blankets, and 
huddle themselves in their “ nests,” at an early hour. In 
the course of the evening, Mr. M’Lellan, who had'now re¬ 
gained his strength, killed a buffalo, but it was some dis¬ 
tance from the camp, and they postponed supplying 
themselves from the carcass until the following morning. 

The next day (October 21st), the cold continued, ac¬ 
companied by snow. They set forward on their bleak 
and toilsome way, keeping to the east-northeast, towards 
the lofty summit of a mountain, which it was necessary 
for them to cross. Before they reached its base they 
passed another large trail, steering a little to the right of 
the point of the mountain. This they presumed to have 
been made by another band of Crows, who had probably 
been hunting lower down on the Spanish Biver. 

The severity of the weather compelled them to encamp 
at the end of fifteen miles, on the skirts of the mountain, 
where they found sufficient dry aspen trees to supply 
them with fire, but they sought in vain about the neigh¬ 
borhood for a spring or rill of water. 


SAVAGE SCENERY. 


557 


At daybreak they were up and on the march, scram¬ 
bling up the mountain side for the distance of eight pain¬ 
ful miles. From the casual hints given in the travelling 
memoranda of Mr. Stuart, this mountain would seem to 
offer a rich field of speculation for the geologist. Here 
was a plain three miles in diameter, strewed with pumice 
stones and other volcanic reliques, with a lake in the 
centre, occupying what had probably been the crater. 
Here were also, in some places, deposits of marine shells, 
indicating that this mountain crest had at some remote 
period been below the waves. 

After pausing to repose, and to enjoy these grand but 
savage and awful scenes, they began to descend the 
eastern side of the mountain. The descent was rugged 
and romantic, along deep ravines and defiles, overhung 
with crags and cliffs, among which they beheld numbers 
of the ahsahta or bighorn, skipping fearlessly from rock 
to rock. Two of them they succeeded in bringing down 
with their rifles, as they peered fearlessly from the brow 
of their airy precipices. 

Arrived at the foot of the mountain, the travellers 
found a rill of water oozing out of the earth, and resem¬ 
bling in look and taste, the water of the Missouri. Here 
they encamped for the night, and supped sumptuously 
upon their mountain mutton, which they found in good 
condition, and extremely well tasted. 

The morning was bright, and intensely cold. Early in 
the day they came upon a stream running to the east, 


558 


ASTORIA. 


between low hills of bluish earth, strongly impregnated 
with copperas. Mr. Stuart supposed this to be one of 
the head waters of the Missouri, and determined to fol¬ 
low its banks. After a march of twenty-six miles, how¬ 
ever, he arrived at the summit of a hill, the prospect of 
which induced him to alter his intention. He beheld, in 
every direction south of east, a vast plain, bounded only 
by the horizon, through which wandered the stream in 
question, in a south-southeast direction. It could not, 
therefore, be a branch of the Missouri. He now gave up 
all idea of taking the stream for his guide, and shaped 
his course towards a range of mountains in the east, 
about sixty miles distant, near which he hoped to find 
another stream. 

The weather was now so severe, and the hardships of 
travelling so great, that he resolved to halt for the win¬ 
ter, at the first eligible place. That night they had to 
encamp on the open prairie, near a scanty pool of water, 
and without any wood to make a fire. The northeast wind 
blew keenly across the naked waste, and they were fain to 
decamp from their inhospitable bivouac before the dawn. 

For two days they kept on in an eastward direction, 
against wintry blasts and occasional snow storms. They 
suffered, also, from scarcity of water, having occasionally 
to use melted snow; this, with the want of pasturage, re¬ 
duced their old pack-horse sadly. They saw many tracks 
of buffalo, and some few bulls, which, however, got the 
wind of them, and scampered off. 


FOAMING RAPIDS. 


559 


On the 26th of October, they steered east-northeast, 
for a wooded ravine in a mountain, at a small distance 
from the base of which, to their great joy, they discov¬ 
ered an abundant stream, running between willowed 
banks. Here they halted for the night, and Ben Jones 
having luckily trapped a beaver, and killed two buffalo 
bulls, they remained all the next day encamped, feasting 
and reposing, and allowing their jaded horse to rest from 
his labors. 

The little stream on which they were encamped, was 
one of the head waters of the Platte Kiver, which flows 
into the Missouri; it was, in fact, the northern fork, or 
branch of that river, though this the travellers did not 
discover until long afterwards. Pursuing the course of 
this stream for about twenty miles, they came to where 
it forced a passage through a range of high hills, covered 
with cedars, into an extensive low country, affording ex¬ 
cellent pasture to numerous herds of buffalo. Here they 
killed three cows, which were the first they had been able 
to get, having hitherto had to content themselves with 
bull beef, which at this season of the year is very poor. 
The hump meat afforded them a repast fit for an epicure. 

Late on the afternoon of the 30th, they came to where 
the stream, now increased to a considerable size, poured 
along in a ravine between precipices of red stone, two 
hundred feet in height. For some distance it dashed 
along, over huge masses of rock, with foaming violence, 
as if exasperated by being compressed into so narrow a 


560 


ASTORIA . 


channel, and at length leaped down a chasm that looked 
dark and frightful in the gathering twilight. 

For a part of the next day, the wild river, in its capri¬ 
cious wanderings, led them through a variety of striking 
scenes. At one time they were upon high plains, like 
platforms among the mountains, with herds of buffaloes 
roaming about them; at another, among rude rocky de¬ 
files, broken into cliffs and precipices, where the black¬ 
tailed deer bounded off among the crags, and the bighorn 
basked in the sunny brow of the precipice. 

In the after part of the day, they came to another 
scene, surpassing in savage grandeur those already de¬ 
scribed. They had been travelling for some distance 
through a pass of the mountains, keeping parallel with 
the river, as it roared along, out of sight, through a deep 
ravine. Sometimes their devious path approached the 
margin of cliffs below which the river foamed, and boiled, 
and whirled among the masses of rock that had fallen 
into its channel. As they crept cautiously on, leading 
their solitary pack-horse along these giddy heights, they 
all at once came to where the river thundered down a 
succession of precipices, throwing up clouds of spray, 
and making a prodigious din and uproar. The travellers 
remained, for a time, gazing with mingled awe and de¬ 
light, at this furious cataract, to which Mr. Stuart gave, 
from the color of the impending rocks, the name of 
“ The Fiery Narrows/* 


CHAPTER XLDL 


WINTRY STORMS.—A HALT AND COUNCIL.—CANTONMENT FOR THE WINTER.— 
FINE HUNTING COUNTRY.—GAME OF THE MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS.—SUC¬ 
CESSFUL HUNTING.—MR. CROOKS AND A GRIZZLY BEAR.—THE WIGWAM.— 
BIGnORN AND BLACK-TAILS.—BEEF AND VENISON.—GOOD QUARTERS AND 
GOOD CHEER.—AN ALARM.—AN INTRUSION.—UNWELCOME GUESTS.—DESO¬ 
LATION OF THE LARDER.—GORMANDIZING EXPLOITS OF HUNGRY SAVAGES.— 
GOOD QUARTERS ABANDONED. 


HE travellers encamped for the night on the 
banks of the river below the cataract. The 
night was cold, with partial showers of rain and 
sleet. The morning dawned gloomily, the skies were sul¬ 
len and overcast, and threatened further storms; but the 
little band resumed their journey, in defiance of the 
weather. The increasing rigor of the season, however, 
which makes itself felt early in these mountainous re¬ 
gions, and on these naked and elevated plains, brought 
them to a pause, and a serious deliberation, after they 
had descended about thirty miles further along the 
course of the river. 

All were convinced that it was in vain to attempt to 

accomplish their journey on foot at this inclement season. 

They had still many hundred miles to traverse before 
36 561 














562 


ASTORIA. 


they should reach the main course of the Missouri, and 
their route would lay over immense prairies, naked and 
bleak, and destitute of fuel. The question then was, 
where to choose their wintering place, and whether or 
not to proceed further down the river. They had at first 
imagined it to be one of the head waters, or tributary 
streams, of the Missouri. Afterwards they had believed 
it to be the Rapid, or Quicourt River, in which opinion 
they had not come nearer to the truth; they now, how¬ 
ever, were persuaded, with equal fallacy, by its inclining 
somewhat to the north of east, that it was the Cheyenne. 
If so, by continuing down it much further they must ar¬ 
rive among the Indians, from whom the river takes its 
name. Among these they would be sure to meet some 
of the Sioux tribe. These would apprise their relatives, 
the piratical Sioux of the Missouri, of the approach of a 
band of white traders; so that, in the spring time, they 
would be likely to be waylaid and robbed on their way 
down the river, by some party in ambush upon its banks. 

Even should this prove to be the Quicourt or Rapid 
River, it would not be prudent to winter much further 
down upon its banks, as, though they might be out of the 
range of the Sioux, they would be in the neighborhood 
of the Poncas, a tribe nearly as dangerous. It was re¬ 
solved, therefore, since they must winter somewhere on 
this side of the Missouri, to descend no lower, but to 
keep up in these solitary regions, where they would be 
in no danger of molestation. 


A WINTERING PLACE. 


563 


They were brought the more promptly and unani¬ 
mously to this decision, by coming upon an excellent 
wintering place, that promised everything requisite for 
their comfort. It was on a fine bend of the river, just be¬ 
low where it issued out from among a ridge of mountains, 
and bent towards the northeast. Here was a beautiful 
low point of land, covered by cotton-wood, and sur¬ 
rounded by a thick growth of willow, so as to yield both 
shelter and fuel, as well as materials for building. The 
river swept by in a strong current, about a hundred and 
fifty yards wide. To the southeast were mountains of 
moderate height, the nearest about two miles off, but the 
whole chain ranging to the east, south, and southwest, 
as far as the eye could reach. Their summits were 
crowned with extensive tracts of pitch pine, checkered 
with small patches of the quivering aspen. Lower down 
were thick forests of firs and red cedars, growing out in 
many places from the very fissures of the rocks. The 
mountains were broken and precipitous, with huge bluffs 
protruding from among the forests. Their rocky recesses, 
and beetling cliffs, afforded retreats to innumerable flocks 
of the bighorn, while their woody summits and ravines 
abounded with bears and black-tailed deer. These, with 
the numerous herds of buffalo that ranged the lower 
grounds along the river, promised the travellers abun¬ 
dant cheer in their winter quarters. 

On the 2d of November, therefore, they pitched their 
camp for the winter, on the woody point, and their first 


564 


ASTORIA. 


thought was to obtain a supply of provisions. Ben Jones 
and the two Canadians accordingly sallied forth, accom¬ 
panied by two others of the party, leaving but one to 
watch the camp. Their hunting was uncommonly suc¬ 
cessful. In the course of two days, they killed thirty- 
two buffaloes, and collected their meat on the margin o i 
a small brook, about a mile distant. Fortunately, a se¬ 
vere frost froze the river, so that the meat was easily 
transported to the encampment. On a succeeding day, 
a herd of buffalo came trampling through the woody bot¬ 
tom on the river banks, and fifteen more were killed. 

It was soon discovered, however, that there was game 
of a more dangerous nature in the neighborhood. On 
one occasion, Mr. Crooks had wandered about a mile 
from the camp, and had ascended a small hill command¬ 
ing a view of the river. He was without his rifle, a rare 
circumstance, for in these wild regions, where one may 
put up a wild animal, or a wild Indian, at every turn, it 
is customary never to stir from the camp-fire unarmed. 
The hill where he stood overlooked the place where the 
massacre of the buffalo had taken place. As he was 
looking around on the prospect, his eye was caught by 
an object below, moving directly towards him. To his 
dismay, he discovered it to be a grizzly bear, with two 
cubs. There was no tree at hand into which he could 
climb; to run, would only be to provoke pursuit, and he 
should soon be overtaken. He threw himself on the 
ground, therefore, and lay motionless, watching the move* 


COMFORTABLE QUARTERS. 


565 


ments of the animal with intense anxiety. It continued 
to advance until at the foot of the hill, when it turned, 
and made into the woods, having probably gorged itself 
with buffalo flesh. Mr. Crooks made all haste back to 
the camp, rejoicing at his escape, and determining never 
to stir out again without his rifle. A few days after this 
circumstance, a grizzly bear was shot in the neighbor¬ 
hood, by Mr. Miller. 

As the slaughter of so many buffaloes had provided the 
party with beef for the winter, in case they met with no 
further supply, they now set to work, heart and hand, to 
build a comfortable wigwam. In a little while the woody 
promontory rang with the unwonted sound of the axe. 
Some of its lofty trees were laid low, and by the second 
evening the cabin was complete. It was eight feet wide, 
and eighteen feet long. The walls were six feet high, and 
the whole was covered with buffalo skins. The fireplace 
was in the centre, and the smoke found its way out by a 
hole in the roof. 

The hunters were next sent out to procure deer-skins 
for garments, moccasins, and other purposes. They made 
the mountains echo with their rifles, and, in the course 
of two days’ hunting, killed twenty-eight bighorns and 
black-tailed deer. 

The party now reveled in abundance. After all that 
they had suffered from hunger, cold, fatigue and watch¬ 
fulness ; after all their perils from treacherous and sav¬ 
age men, they exulted in the snugness and security of 


566 


ASTORIA. 


their isolated cabin, hidden, as they thought, even from 
the prying eyes of Indian scouts, and stored with creature 
comforts ; and they looked forward to a winter of peace 
and quietness; of roasting, and boiling, and broiling, and 
feasting upon venison, and mountain mutton, and bear’s 
meat, and marrow bones, and buffalo humps, and other 
hunter’s dainties, and of dozing and reposing round their 
fire, and gossiping over past dangers and adventures, and 
telling long hunting stories, until spring should return ; 
when they would make canoes of buffalo skins and float 
themselves down the river. 

From such halcyon dreams, they were startled one 
morning, at daybreak, by a savage yell. They started up 
and seized their rifles. The yell was repeated by two or 
three voices. Cautiously peeping out, they beheld, to 
their dismay, several Indian warriors among the trees, all 
armed and painted in warlike style; being evidently bent 
on some hostile purpose. 

Miller changed countenance as he regarded them. 
“We are in trouble,” said he, “ these are some of the 
rascally Arapahays that robbed me last year.” Not a 
word was uttered by the rest of the party, but they si¬ 
lently slung their powder horns and ball pouches, and 
prepared for battle. M’Lellan, who had taken his gun 
to pieces the evening before, put it together in all haste. 
He proposed that they should break out the clay from 
between the logs, so as to be able to fire upon the enemy. 

“ Not yet,” replied Stuart; “ it will not do to show fear 


DANGEROUS VISITORS. 


567 


or distrust; we must first hold a parley. Some one must 
go out and meet them as a friend.” 

Who was to undertake the task! It was full of peril, 
as the envoy might be shot down at the threshold. 

“ The leader of a party,” said Miller, “ always takes the 
advance.” 

“ Good! ” replied Stuart; “ I am ready.” He immedi¬ 
ately went forth ; one of the Canadians followed him; the 
rest of the party remained in the garrison, to keep the 
savages in check. 

Stuart advanced holding his rifle in one hand, and ex¬ 
tending the other to the savage that appeared to be the 
chief. The latter stepped forward and took it; his men 
followed his example, and all shook hands with Stuart, in 
token of friendship. They now explained their errand. 
They were a war party of Arapahay braves. Their vil¬ 
lage lay on a stream several days’ journey to the east¬ 
ward. It had been attacked and ravaged during their 
absence, by a band of Crows, who had carried off several 
of their women, and most of their horses. They were in 
quest of vengeance. For sixteen days they had been 
tracking the Crows about the mountains, but had not yet 
come upon them. In the meantime, they had met with 
scarcely any game, and were half famished. About two 
days previously, they had heard the report of fire-arms 
among the mountains, and on searching in the direction 
of the sound, had come to a place where a deer had been 
killed. They had immediately put themselves upon the 


568 


ASTORIA. 


track of the hunters, and by following it up, had arrived 
at the cabin. 

Mr. Stuart now invited the chief and another, who ap¬ 
peared to be his lieutenant, into the hut, but made signs 
that no one else was to enter. The rest halted at the 
door; others came straggling up, until the whole party, 
to the number of twenty-three, were gathered before the 
hut. They were armed with bows and arrows, toma¬ 
hawks and scalping knives, and some few with guns. All 
were painted and dressed for war, and had a wild and 
fierce appearance. Mr. Miller recognized among them 
some of the very fellows who had robbed him in the pre¬ 
ceding year; and put his comrades upon their guard. 
Every man stood ready to resist the first act of hostility; 
the savages, however, conducted themselves peaceably, 
and showed none of that swaggering arrogance which a 
war party is apt to assume. 

On entering the hut the chief and his lieutenant cast a 
wistful look at the rafters, laden with venison and buffalo 
meat. Mr. Stuart made a merit of necessity, and invited 
them to help themselves. They did not wait to be 
pressed. The rafters were soon eased of their burden; 
venison and beef were passed out to the crew before the 
door, and a scene of gormandizing commenced, of which 
few can have an idea, who have not witnessed the gastro¬ 
nomic powers of an Indian, after an interval of fasting. 
This was kept up throughout the day; they paused now 
and then, it is true, for a brief interval, but only to re- 


INDIAN VORACITY. 


569 


turn to the charge with renewed ardor. The chief and 
the lieutenant surpassed all the rest in the vigor and 
perseverance of their attacks; as if from their station 
they were bound to signalize themselves in all on¬ 
slaughts. Mr. Stuart kept them well supplied with 
choice bits, for it was his policy to overfeed them, and 
keep them from leaving the hut, where they served as 
hostages for the good conduct of their followers. Once, 
only, in the course of the day, did the chief sally forth. 
Mr. Stuart and one of his men accompanied him, armed 
with their rifles, but without betraying any distrust. The 
chieftain soon returned, and renewed his attack upon the 
larder. In a word, he and his worthy coadjutor, the lieu¬ 
tenant, ate until they were both stupefied. 

Towards evening the Indians made their preparations 
for the night according to the practice of war parties. 
Those outside of the hut threw up two breastworks, into 
which they retired at a tolerably early hour, and slept 
like overfed hounds. As to the chief and his lieutenant, 
they passed the night in the hut, in the course of which, 
they, two or three times, got up to eat. The travel¬ 
lers took turns, one at a time, to mount guard until the 
morning. 

Scarce had the day dawned, when the gormandizing 
was renewed by the whole band, and carried on with sur¬ 
prising vigor until ten o’clock, when all prepared to de¬ 
part. They had six days’ journey yet to make, they said, 
before they should come up with the Crows, who, they 


570 


ASTORIA 


understood, were encamped on a river to the northward 
Their way lay through a hungry country where there 
was no game ; they would, moreover, have but little time 
to hunt; they, therefore, craved a small supply of pro¬ 
visions for their journey. Mr. Stuart again invited them 
to help themselves. They did so with keen forethought, 
loading themselves with the choicest parts of the meat, 
and leaving the late plenteous larder far gone in a con¬ 
sumption. Their next request was for a supply of ammu¬ 
nition, having guns, but no powder and ball. They 
promised to pay magnificently out of the spoils of their 
foray. “ We are poor now,” said they, “ and are obliged 
to go on foot, but we shall soon come back laden with 
booty, and all mounted on horseback, with scalps hang¬ 
ing at our bridles. We will then give each of you a horse 
to keep you from being tired on your journey.” 

“ Well,” said Mr. Stuart, “ when you bring the horses, 
you shall have the ammunition, but not before.” The 
Indians saw by his determined tone, that all further en¬ 
treaty would be unavailing, so they desisted, with a good- 
humored laugh, and went off exceedingly well freighted, 
both within and without, promising to be back again in 
the course of a fortnight. 

No sooner were they out of hearing, than the luckless 
travellers held another council. The security of their 
cabin was at an end, and with it all their dreams of a 
quiet and cozey winter. They were between two fires 
On one side were their old enemies, the Crows; on the 


GOOD QUARTERS ABANDONED . 


571 


other side, the Arapahajs, no less dangerous freebooters. 
As to the moderation of this war party, they considered 
it assumed, to put them off their guard against some 
more favorable opportunity for a surprisal. It was de¬ 
termined, therefore, not to await their return, but to 
abandon, with all speed, this dangerous neighborhood. 
From the accounts of their recent visitors, they were led 
to believe, though erroneously, that they were upon the 
Quicourt, or Rapid River. They proposed now to keep 
along it to its confluence with the Missouri; but, should 
they be prevented by the rigors of the season from pro¬ 
ceeding so far, at least to reach a part of the river where 
they might be able to construct canoes of greater 
strength and durability than those of buffalo skins. 

Accordingly, on the 13th of December, they bade adieu, 
with many a regret, to their comfortable quarters where 
for five weeks they had been indulging the sweets of re¬ 
pose, of plenty, and of fancied security. They were still 
accompanied by their veteran pack-horse, which the 
Arapahays had omitted to steal, either because they in¬ 
tended to steal him on their return, or because they 
thought him not worth stealing. 


CHAPTER L. 


BOUGH WINTRY TRAVELLING.—HILLS AND PLAINS.—SNOW AND ICE.—DISA1* 
PEARANCE OF GAME.—A VAST DREARY PLAIN.—A SECOND HALT FOR THE 
WINTER.—ANOTHER WIGWAM. — NEW YEAR’S FEAST.—BUFFALO HUMPS, 
TONGUES, AND MARROW-BONES.— RETURN OF SPRING.—LAUNCH OF CA- 
NOES.—BAD NAVIGATION.— PEDESTRIAN MARCH.—VAST PRAIRIES.— DE¬ 
SERTED CAMPS.—PAWNEE SQUAWS.—AN OTTO INDIAN.—NEWS OF WAR.— 
VOYAGE DOWN THE PLATTE AND THE MISSOURI.—RECEPTION AT FORT 
OSAGE.—ARRIVAL AT ST. LOUIS. 


IE interval of comfort and repose which the 
party had enjoyed in their wigwam, rendered 
the renewal of their fatigues intolerable for the 
first two or three days. The snow lay deep, and was 
slightly frozen on the surface, but not sufficiently to bear 
their weight. Their feet became sore by breaking through 
the crust, and their limbs weary by floundering on with¬ 
out firm foothold. So exhausted and dispirited were they, 
that they began to think it would be better to remain and 
run the risk of being killed by the Indians, than to drag 
on thus painfully, with the probability of perishing by 
the way. Their miserable horse fared no better than 
themselves, having for the first day or two no other fod¬ 
der than the ends of willow twigs, and the bark of the 
cotton-wood tree. 

573 











MISTAKE IN THEIR COURSE. 


573 


They all, however, appeared to gain patience and hard¬ 
ihood as they proceeded, and for fourteen days kept 
steadily on, making a distance of about three hundred 
and thirty miles. For some days, the range of mountains 
which had been near to their wigwam kept parallel to the 
river at no great distance, but at length subsided into 
hills. Sometimes they found the river bordered with 
alluvial bottoms, and groves with cotton-wood and 
willows; sometimes the adjacent country was naked 
and barren. In one place it ran for a considerable 
distance between rocky hills and promontories covered 
with cedar and pitch pines, and peopled with the big¬ 
horn and the mountain deer; at other places it wan¬ 
dered through prairies well stocked with buffaloes and 
antelopes. As they descended the course of the river, 
they began to perceive the ash and white oak here 
and there among the cotton-wood and willow; and at 
length caught a sight of some wild horses on the distant 
prairies. 

The weather was various; at one time the snow lay 
deep; then they had a genial day or two, with the mild¬ 
ness and serenity of autumn; then, again, the frost was 
so severe that the river was sufficiently frozen to bear 
them upon the ice. 

During the last three days of their fortnight’s travel, 
however, the face of the country changed. The timber 
gradually diminished, until they could scarcely find fuel 
sufficient for culinary purposes. The game grew more 


574 


ASTORIA. 


and more scanty, and, finally, none were to be seen but a 
few miserable broken-down buffalo bulls, not worth kill¬ 
ing. The snow lay fifteen inches deep, and made the 
travelling grievously painful and toilsome. At length 
they came to an immense plain, where no vestige of tim¬ 
ber was to be seen; nor a single quadruped to enliven 
the desolate landscape. Here, then, their hearts failed 
them, and they held another consultation. The width of 
the river, which was upwards of a mile, its extreme shal¬ 
lowness, the frequency of quicksands, and various other 
characteristics, had at length made them sensible of their 
errors with respect to it, and they now came to the cor¬ 
rect conclusion, that they were on the banks of the Platte 
or Shallow Kiver. What were they to do ? Pursue its 
course to the Missouri ? To go on at this season of the 
year seemed dangerous in the extreme. There was no 
prospect of obtaining either food or firing. The country 
was destitute of trees, and though there might be drift¬ 
wood along the river, it lay too deep beneath the snow 
for them to find it. 

The weather was threatening a change, and a snow¬ 
storm on these boundless wastes might prove as fatal as 
a whirlwind of sand on an Arabian desert. After much 
dreary deliberation, it was at length determined to re¬ 
trace their three last days’ journey, of seventy-seven 
miles, to a place which they had remarked where there 
was a sheltering growth of forest trees, and a country 
abundant in game. Here they would once more set up 


SECOND CANTONMENT. 


575 


their winter quarters, and await the opening of the navi¬ 
gation to launch themselves in canoes. 

Accordingly, on the 27th of December, they faced 
about, retraced their steps, and on the 30th, regained the 
part of the river in question. Here the alluvial bottom 
was from one to two miles wide, and thickly covered 
with a forest of cotton-wood trees; while herds of buffalo 
were scattered about the neighboring prairie, several of 
which soon fell beneath their rifles. 

They encamped on the margin of the river, in a grove 
where there were trees large enough for canoes. Here 
they put up a shed for immediate shelter, and imme¬ 
diately proceeded to erect a hut. New Year’s day dawned 
when, as yet, but one wall of their cabin was completed; 
the genial and jovial day, however, was not permitted to 
pass uncelebrated, even by this weather-beaten crew of 
wanderers. All work was suspended, except that of 
roasting and boiling. The choicest of the buffalo meat, 
with tongues, and humps, and marrow-bones, were de¬ 
voured in quantities that would astonish any one that 
has not lived among hunters or Indians; and as an extra 
regale, having no tobacco left, they cut up an old tobacco 
pouch, still redolent with the potent herb, and smoked it 
in honor of the day. Thus for a time, in present revelry, 
however uncouth, they forgot all past troubles and all 
anxieties about the future, and their forlorn wigwam 
echoed to the sound of gayety. 

The next day they resumed their labors, and by the 


576 


ASTORIA. 


6th of the month it was complete. They soon killed 
abundance of buffalo, and again laid in a stock of winter 
provisions. 

The party were more fortunate in this their second 
cantonment. The winter passed away without any In¬ 
dian visitors, and the game continued to be plenty in the 
neighborhood. They felled two large trees, and shaped 
them into canoes; and, as the spring opened, and a thaw 
of several days’ continuance melted the ice in the riverj 
they made every preparation for embarking. On the 8th 
of March they launched forth in their canoes, but soon 
found that the river had not depth sufficient even for 
such slender barks. It expanded into a wide but ex¬ 
tremely shallow stream, with many sand-bars, and occa¬ 
sionally various channels. They got one of their canoes 
a few miles down it, with extreme difficulty, sometimes 
wading, and dragging it over the shoals ; at length they 
had to abandon the attempt, and to resume their journey 
on foot, aided by their faithful old pack-horse, who had 
recruited strength during the repose of the winter. 

The weather delayed them for a few days, having sud¬ 
denly become more rigorous than it had been at any 
time during the winter; but on the 20th of March they 
were again on their journey. 

In two days they arrived at the vast naked prairie, the 
wintry aspect of which had caused them, in December, to 
pause and turn back. It was now clothed in the early 
verdure of spring, and plentifully stocked with game. 


PRAIRIE SCENERY IRKSOME. 


577 


Still, when obliged to bivouac on its bare surface, with¬ 
out any shelter, and by a scanty fire of dry buffalo dung, 
they found the night blasts piercing cold. On one occa¬ 
sion, a herd of buffalo straying near their evening camp, 
they killed three of them merely for their hides, where¬ 
with to make a shelter for the night. 

They continued on for upwards of a hundred miles; 
with vast prairies extending before them as they ad¬ 
vanced ; sometimes diversified by undulating hills, but 
destitute of trees. In one place they saw a gang of sixty- 
five wild horses, but as to the buffaloes, they seemed ab¬ 
solutely to cover the country. Wild geese abounded, and 
they passed extensive swamps that were alive with innu¬ 
merable flocks of water-fowl, among which were a few 
swans, but an endless variety of ducks. 

The river continued a winding course to the east-north- 
east, nearly a mile in width, but too shallow to float even 
an empty canoe. The country spread out into a vast level 
plain, bounded by the horizon alone, excepting to the 
north, where a line of hills seemed like a long promon¬ 
tory stretching into the bosom of the ocean. The dreary 
sameness of the prairie wastes began to grow extremely 
irksome. The travellers longed for the sight of a forest, 
or grove, or single tree, to break the level uniformity, and 
began to notice every object that gave reason to hope 
they were drawing towards the end of this weary wilder¬ 
ness. Thus the occurrence of a particular kind of grass 
was hailed as a proof that they could not be far from the 
37 


578 


ASTORIA . 


bottoms of the Missouri; and they were rejoiced at put¬ 
ting up several prairie hens, a kind of grouse seldom 
found far in the interior. In picking up drift-wood for 
fuel, also, they found on some pieces the mark of an axe, 
which caused much speculation as to the time when and 
the persons by whom the trees had been felled. Thus 
they went on, like sailors at sea, who perceive in every 
floating weed and wandering bird, harbingers of the 
wished-for land. 

By the close of the month the weather became very 
mild, and, heavily burdened as they were, they found the 
noontide temperature uncomfortably warm. On the 30th, 
they came to three deserted hunting camps, either of 
Pawnees or Ottoes, about which were buffalo skulls in all 
directions; and the frames on which the hides had been 
stretched and cured. They had apparently been occupied 
the preceding autumn. 

For several days they kept patiently on, watching every 
sign that might give them an idea as to where they were, 
and how near to the banks of the Missouri. 

Though there were numerous traces of hunting parties 
and encampments, they were not of recent date. The 
country seemed deserted. The only human beings they 
met with were three Pawnee squaws, in a hut in the 
midst of a deserted camp. Their people had all gone to 
the south, in pursuit of the buffalo, and had left these 
poor women behind, being too sick and infirm to travel. 

It is a common practice with the Pawnees, and prob* 


NEWS FROM THE STATES. 


579 


ably with other roving tribes, when departing on a dis¬ 
tant expedition, which will not admit of incumbrance or 
delay, to leave their aged and infirm with a supply of pro¬ 
visions sufficient for a temporary subsistence. When this 
is exhausted, they must perish; though sometimes their 
sufferings are abridged by hostile prowlers who may visit 
the deserted camp. 

The poor squaws in question expected some such fate at 
the hands of the white strangers, and though the latter 
accosted them in the kindest manner, and made them 
presents of dried buffalo meat, it was impossible to 
soothe their alarm, or get any information from them. 

The first landmark by which the travellers were en¬ 
abled to conjecture their position with any degree of 
confidence, was an island about seventy miles in length, 
which they presumed to be Grand Isle. If so, they were 
within one hundred and forty miles of the Missouri. 
They kept on, therefore, with renewed spirit, and at the 
end of three days met with an Otto Indian, by whom 
they were confirmed in their conjecture. They learnt at 
the same time another piece of information, of an un¬ 
comfortable nature. According to his account, there was 
war between the United States and England, and in fact 
it had existed for a whole year, during which time they 
had been beyond the reach of all knowledge of the affairs 
of the civilized world. 

The Otto conducted the travellers to his village, situ¬ 
ated a short distance from the banks of the Platts. 


580 


ASTORIA . 


Here they were delighted to meet with two white men, 
Messrs. Dornin and Roi, Indian traders recently from St. 
Louis. Of these they had a thousand inquiries to make 
concerning all affairs, foreign and domestic, during their 
year of sepulture in the wilderness ; and especially about 
the events of the existing war. 

They now prepared to abandon their weary travel by 
land, and to embark upon the water. A bargain was 
made with Mr. Dornin, who engaged to furnish them 
with a canoe and provisions for the voyage, in exchange 
for their venerable and well-tried fellow traveller, the old 
Snake horse. 

Accordingly, in a couple of days, the Indians employed 
by that gentleman constructed for them a canoe twenty 
feet long, four feet wide, and eighteen inches deep. The 
frame was of poles and willow twigs, on which were 
stretched five elk and buffalo hides, sewed together with 
sinews, and the seams payed with unctuous mud. In 
this they embarked at an early hour on the 16th of April, 
and drifted down ten miles with the stream, when the 
wind being high they encamped, and set to work to make 
oars, which they had not been able to procure at the 
Indian village. 

Once more afloat, they went merrily down the stream, 
and after making thirty-five miles, emerged into the 
broad turbid current of the Missouri. Here they were 
borne along briskly by the rapid stream; though, by the 
time their fragile bark had floated a couple of hundred 


BACK TO CIVILIZATION . 


581 


miles, its frame began to show the effects of the voyage. 
Luckily they came to the deserted wintering place of 
some hunting party, where they found two old wooden 
canoes. Taking possession of the largest, they again 
committed themselves to the current, and after dropping 
down fifty-five miles further, arrived safely at Fort 
Osage. 

Here they found Lieutenant Brownson still in com¬ 
mand ; the officer who had given the expedition a hospit¬ 
able reception on its way up the river, eighteen months 
previously. He received this remnant of the party with 
a cordial welcome, and endeavored in every way to pro¬ 
mote their comfort and enjoyment during their sojourn at 
the fort. The greatest luxury they met with on their 
return to the abode of civilized man, was bread, not hav¬ 
ing tasted any for nearly a year. 

Their stay at Fort Osage was but short. On reembark- 
mg they were furnished with an ample supply of pro¬ 
visions by the kindness of Lieutenant Brownson, and 
performed the rest of their voyage without adverse cir¬ 
cumstance. On the 30th of April they arrived in perfect 
health and fine spirits at St. Louis, having been ten 
months in performing this perilous expedition from 
Astoria. Their return caused quite a sensation at the 
place, bringing the first intelligence of the fortune of Mr. 
Hunt and his party, in their adventurous route across 
the Bocky Mountains, and of the new establishment on 
the shores of the Pacific. 


CHAPTER, II. 


AGREEMENT BETWEEN MR. ASTOR AND THE RUSSIAN FUR COMPANY.—WAR 
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN.—INSTRUCTIONS TO 
CAPTAIN SOWLE OF THE BEAVER.—FITTING OUT OF THE LARK.—NEWS OF 
THE ARRIVAL OF MR. STUART. 



|T is now necessary, in linking together the parts 
of this excursive narrative, that we notice the 
proceedings of Mr. Astor in support of his 
great undertaking. His project with respect to the Rus¬ 
sian establishments along the northwest coast had been 
diligently prosecuted. The agent sent by him to St. 
Petersburg, to negotiate in his name as president of the 
American Fur Company, had, under sanction of the Rus¬ 
sian government, made a provisional agreement with the 
Russian company. 

By this agreement, which was ratified by Mr. Astor in 
1813, the two companies bound themselves not to inter¬ 
fere with each other’s trading and hunting grounds, nor 
to furnish arms and ammunition to the Indians. They 
were to act in concert, also, against all interlopers, and to 
succor each other in case of danger. The American 
company was to have the exclusive right of supplying 
the Russian posts with goods and necessaries, receiving 

582 




BRIGHT ANTICIPATIONS CLOUDED. 


583 


peltries in payment at stated prices. They were, also, 
if so requested by the Russian governor, to convey 
the furs of the Russian company to Canton, sell them 
on commission, and bring back the proceeds, at such 
freight as might be agreed on at the time. This agree¬ 
ment was to continue in operation four years, and to 
be renewable for a similar term, unless some unfore¬ 
seen contingency should render a modification necessary „ 
It was calculated to be of great service to the infant 
establishment at Astoria; dispelling the fears of hostile 
rivalry on the part of the foreign companies in its neigh¬ 
borhood, and giving a formidable blow to the irregular 
trade along the coast. It was also the intention of Mr. 
Astor to have coasting vessels of his own, at Astoria, of 
small tonnage and draft of water, fitted for coasting ser¬ 
vice. These, having a place of shelter and deposit, could 
ply about the coast in short voyages, in favorable 
weather, and would have vast advantage over chance 
ships, which must make long voyages, maintain numerous 
crews, and could only approach the coast at certain sea¬ 
sons of the year. He hoped, therefore, gradually to make 
Astoria the great emporium of the American fur trade in 
the Pacific, and the nucleus of a powerful American state. 
Unfortunately for these sanguine anticipations, before 
Mr. Astor had ratified the agreement, as above stated, 
war broke out between the United States and Great 
Britain. He perceived at once the peril of the case. The 
harbor of New York would doubtless be blockaded, and 


584 


ASTORIA . 


the departure of the annual supply ship in the autumn 
prevented; or, if she should succeed in getting out to sea, 
she might be captured on her voyage. 

In this emergency, he wrote to Captain Sowle, com¬ 
mander of the Beaver. The letter, which was addressed 
to him at Canton, directed him to proceed to the factory 
at the mouth of the Columbia, with such articles as the 
establishment might need; and to remain there, subject 
to the orders of Mr. Hunt, should that gentleman be in 
command there. 

The war continued. No tidings had yet been received 
from Astoria; the despatches having been delayed by the 
misadventure of Mr. Heed at the falls of the Columbia, 
and the unhorsing of Mr. Stuart by the Crows among the 
mountains. A painful uncertainty, also, prevailed about 
Mr. Hunt and his party. Nothing had been heard of 
them since their departure from the Arickara village; 
Lisa, who parted from them there, had predicted their 
destruction; and some of the traders of the Northwest 
Company had actually spread a rumor of their having 
been cut off by the Indians. 

It was a hard trial of the courage and means of an in¬ 
dividual to have to fit out another costly expedition, 
where so much had already been expended, so much un¬ 
certainty prevailed, and where the risk of loss was so 
greatly enhanced, that no insurance could be effected. 

In spite of all these discouragements, Mr. Astor deter¬ 
mined to send another ship to the relief of the settle- 


GOVERNMENT AID INVOKED. 


585 


ment. He selected for this purpose a vessel called the 
Lark, remarkable for her fast sailing. The disordered 
state of the times, however, caused such a delay, that Feb¬ 
ruary arrived, while the vessel was yet lingering in port. 

At this juncture, Mr. Astor learnt that the Northwest 
Company were preparing to send out an armed ship of 
twenty guns, called the Isaac Todd, to form an establish¬ 
ment at the mouth of the Columbia. These tidings gave 
him great uneasiness. A considerable proportion of the 
persons in his employ were Scotchmen and Canadians, 
and several of them had been in the service of the North¬ 
west Company. Should Mr. Hunt have failed to arrive 
at Astoria, the whole establishment would be under the 
control of Mr. M’Dougal, of whose fidelity he had re¬ 
ceived very disparaging accounts from Captain Thorn. 
The British government, also, might deem it worth while to 
send a force against the establishment, having been urged 
to do so some time previously by the Northwest Company. 

Under all these circumstances, Mr. Astor wrote to Mr. 
Monroe, then secretary of state, requesting protection 
from the government of the United States. He repre¬ 
sented the importance of his settlement, in a commercial 
point of view, and the shelter it might afford to the 
American vessels in those seas. All he asked was that 
the American government would throw forty or fifty men 
into the fort at his establishment, which would be suffi¬ 
cient for its defense until he could send reinforcements 
over land. 


586 


ASTORIA . 


He waited in vain for a reply to this letter, the govern¬ 
ment, no doubt, being engrossed at the time by an over¬ 
whelming crowd of affairs. The month of March arrived, 
and the Lark was ordered by Mr. Astor to put to sea. 
The officer who was to command her, shrunk from his 
engagement, and in the exigency of the moment, she was 
given in charge to Mr. Northrop, the mate. Mr. Nicho¬ 
las G. Ogden, a gentleman on whose talents and integrity 
the highest reliance could be placed, sailed as supercargo. 
The Lark put to sea in the beginning of March, 1813. 

By this opportunity, Mr. Astor wrote to Mr. Hunt, as 
head of the establishment at the mouth of the Columbia, 
for he would not allow himself to doubt of his welfare. 
“ I always think you are well,” said he, “ and that I shall 
see you again, which Heaven, I hope, will grant.” 

He warned him to be on his guard against any at¬ 
tempts to surprise the post; suggesting the probability 
of armed hostility on the part of the Northwest Company, 
and expressing his indignation at the ungrateful returns 
made by that association for his frank and open conduct, 
and advantageous overtures. “ Were I on the spot,” said 
he, “ and had the management of affairs, I would defy 
them all; but, as it is, everything depends upon you and 
your friends about you. Our enterprise is grand , and de¬ 
serves success , and I hope in God it will meet it. If my ob¬ 
ject was merely gain of money, I should say, think 
whether it is best to save what we can, and abandon the 
place ; hut the very idea is like a dagger to my heart” This 


A GLEAM OF SUNSHINE. 


587 


extract is sufficient to show the spirit and the views 
which actuated Mr. Astor in this great undertaking. 

Week after week and month after month elapsed, with¬ 
out anything to dispel the painful incertitude that hung 
over every part of this enterprise. Though a man of res¬ 
olute spirit, and not easily cast down, the dangers im¬ 
pending over this darling scheme of his ambition, had a 
gradual effect upon the spirits of Mr. Astor. He was sit¬ 
ting one gloomy evening by his window, revolving ovei 
the loss of the Tonquin and the fate of her unfortunate 
crew, and fearing that some equally tragical calamity 
might have befallen the adventurers across the mourn 
tains, when the evening newspaper was brought to him. 
The first paragraph that caught his eye, announced the 
arrival of Mr. Stuart and his party at St. Louis, with in¬ 
telligence that Mr. Hunt and his companions had effected 
their perilous expedition to the mouth of the Columbia. 
This was a gleam of sunshine that for a time dispelled 
every cloud, and he now looked forward with sanguine 
hope to the accomplishment of all his plans. 


CHAPTER LH 


BANKS OF THE WALL AH-W ALLAH.—DEPARTURE OF DAVID STUART FOR THE 
OAKINAGAN.—MR. CLARKE’S ROUTE UP LEWIS RIVER.— CHIPUNNISH, OR 
PIERCED-NOSE INDIANS.—THETR CHARACTER, APPEARANCE, AND HABITS.— 
THIEVISH HABITS.—LAYING UP OF THE BOATS.—POST AT POINTED HEART 
AND SPOKAN RIVERS.—M’KENZIE, HIS ROUTE UP THE CAMOENUM.—BANDS OF 
TRAVELLING INDIANS.—EXPEDITION OF REED TO THE CACHES.—ADVEN¬ 
TURES OF WANDERING VOYAGEURS AND TRAPPERS. 


course of our narrative now takes us back 
the regions beyond the mountains, to dis- 
je of the parties that set out from Astoria, 
in company with Mr. Bobert Stuart, and whom he left on 
the banks of the Wallah-Wallah. Those parties likewise 
separated from each other shortly after his departure, 
proceeding to their respective destinations, but agreeing 
to meet at the mouth of the Wallah-Wallah about the 
beginning of June in the following year, with such pel¬ 
tries as they should have collected in the interior, so as 
to convoy each other through the dangerous passes of 
the Columbia. 

Mr. David Stuart, one of the partners, proceeded with 
his men to the post already established by him at the 
mouth of the Oakinagan; having furnished this with 

588 













MR. CLARKE'S DESTINATION . 


589 


goods and ammunition, he proceeded three hundred 
miles up that river, where he established another post in 
a good trading neighborhood. 

Mr. Clarke, another partner, conducted his little band 
up Lewis River to the mouth of a small stream coming 
in from the north, to which the Canadians gave the name 
of the Pavion. Here he found a village or encampment 
of forty huts or tents, covered with mats, and inhabited 
by Nez Perces , or Pierced-nose Indians, as they are 
called by the traders; but Chipunnish, as they are called 
by themselves. They are a hardy, laborious, and some¬ 
what knavish race, who lead a precarious life, fishing and 
digging roots during the summer and autumn, hunting 
the deer on snow-shoes during the winter, and traversing 
the Rocky Mountains in the spring, to trade for buf¬ 
falo skins with the hunting tribes of the Missouri. In 
these migrations they are liable to be waylaid and at¬ 
tacked by the Blackfeet, and other warlike and preda¬ 
tory tribes, and driven back across the mountains with 
the loss of their horses, and of many of their comrades. 

A life of this unsettled and precarious kind is apt to 
render man selfish, and such Mr. Clarke found the inhab¬ 
itants of this village, who were deficient in the usual 
hospitality of Indians; parting with everything with 
extreme reluctance, and showing no sensibility to any 
act of kindness. At the time of his arrival, they were 
all occupied in catching and curing salmon. The men 
were stout, robust, active, and good looking, and the 


590 


ASTORIA. 


women handsomer than those of the tribes nearer to the 
coast. 

It was the plan of Mr. Clarke to lay up his boats here, 
and proceed by land to his place of destination, which 
was among the Spokan tribe of Indians, about a hundred 
and fifty miles distant. He accordingly endeavored to 
purchase horses for the journey, but in this he had to 
contend with the sordid disposition of these people. 
They asked high prices for their horses, and were so 
difficult to deal with, that Mr. Clarke was detained seven 
days among them, before he could procure a sufficient 
number. During that time he was annoyed by repeated 
pilferings, for which he could get no redress. The chief 
promised to recover the stolen articles ; but failed to do 
so, alleging that the thieves belonged to a distant tribe, 
and had made off with their booty. With this excuse 
Mr. Clarke was fain to content himself, though he laid up 
in his heart a bitter grudge against the whole Pierced- 
nose race, which it will be found he took occasion sub¬ 
sequently to gratify in a signal manner. 

Having made arrangements for his departure, Mr. 
Clarke laid up his barge and canoes in a sheltered place, 
on the banks of a small bay, overgrown with shrubs and 
willows, confiding them to the care of the Nez Perce 
chief, who, on being promised an ample compensation, 
engaged to have a guardian eye upon them; then mount¬ 
ing his steed, and putting himself at the head of his little 
caravan, he shook the dust off his feet as he turned his 


MR M'KENZIE’S POST. 


591 


back upon this village of rogues and hard dealers. We 
shall not follow him minutely in his journey; which lay 
at times over steep and rocky hills, and among crags and 
precipices; at other times over vast naked and sunburnt 
plains, abounding with rattlesnakes, in traversing which, 
both men and horses suffered intolerably from heat and 
thirst. The place on which he fixed for a trading post, 
was a fine point of land, at the junction of the Pointed 
Heart and Spokan Rivers. His establishment was in¬ 
tended to compete with a trading post of the Northwest 
Company, situated at no great distance, and to rival it in 
the trade with the Spokan Indians; as well as with the 
Cootonais and Elatheads. In this neighborhood we shall 
leave him for the present. 

Mr. M’Kenzie, who conducted the third party from the 
Wallah-Wallah, navigated for several days up the south 
branch of the Columbia, named the Camoenum by the 
natives, but commonly called Lewis River, in honor of 
the first explorer. Wandering bands of various tribes 
were seen along this river, travelling in various direc¬ 
tions ; for the Indians generally are restless, roving be¬ 
ings, continually intent on enterprises of war, traffic, and 
hunting. Some of these people were driving large gangs 
of horses, as if to a distant market. Having arrived at 
the mouth of the Shahaptan, he ascended some distance 
up that river, and established his trading post upon 
its banks. This appeared to be a great thoroughfare for 
the tribes from the neighborhood of the Falls of the Co* 


592 


ASTORIA. 


lumbia, in their expeditions to make war upon the tribes 
of the Rocky Mountains; to hunt buffalo on the plains 
beyond, or to traffic for roots and buffalo robes. It was 
the season of migration, and the Indians from various dis¬ 
tant parts were passing and repassing in great numbers. 

Mr. M’Kenzie now detached a small band, under the 
conduct of Mr. John Reed, to visit the caches made by 
Mr. Hunt at the Caldron Linn, and to bring the contents 
to his post; as he depended, in some measure, on them 
for his supplies of goods and ammunition. They had 
not been gone a week, when two Indians arrived of the 
Pallatapalla tribe, who live upon a river of the same 
name. These communicated the unwelcome intelligence 
that the caches had been robbed. They said that some 
of their tribe had, in the course of the preceding spring, 
been across the mountains, which separated them from 
Snake River, and had traded horses with the Snakes in 
exchange for blankets, robes, and goods of various de¬ 
scriptions. These articles the Snakes had procured from 
caches to which they were guided by some white men 
who resided among them, and who afterwards accom¬ 
panied them across the Rocky Mountains. This intelli¬ 
gence was extremely perplexing to Mr. M’Kenzie, but the 
truth of part of it was confirmed by the two Indians, who 
brought them an English saddle and bridle, which was 
recognized as having belonged to Mr. Crooks. The per¬ 
fidy of the white men who revealed the secret of the 
caches, was, however, perfectly inexplicable. We shall 


ROBBERY OF TEE CACHES. 


593 


presently account for it in narrating the expedition of 
Mr. Heed. 

That worthy Hibernian proceeded on his mission with 
his usual alacrity. His forlorn travels of the preceding 
winter had made him acquainted with the topography of 
the country, and he reached Snake River without any 
material difficulty. Here, in an encampment of the na¬ 
tives, he met with six white men, wanderers from the 
main expedition of Mr. Hunt, who, after having had their 
respective shares of adventures and mishaps, had fortu¬ 
nately come together at this place. Three of these men 
were Turcotte, La Chapelle, and Francis Landry; the 
three Canadian voyageurs who, it may be recollected, 
had left Mr. Crooks in February, in the neighborhood of 
Snake River, being dismayed by the increasing hard¬ 
ships of the journey, and fearful of perishing of hunger. 
They had returned to ,a Snake encampment, where they 
passed the residue of the winter. 

Early in the spring, being utterly destitute, and in 
great extremity, and having worn out the hospitality of 
the Snakes, they determined to avail themselves of the 
buried treasures within their knowledge. They accord¬ 
ingly informed the Snake chieftains that they knew 
where a great quantity of goods had been left in caches, 
enough to enrich the whole tribe ; and offered to conduct 
them to the place, on condition of being rewarded with 
horses and provisions. The chieftains pledged their 
faith and honor as great men and Snakes, and the three 
38 


594 


ASTORIA 


Canadians conducted them to the place of deposit at the 
Caldron Linn. This is the way that the savages got 
knowledge of the caches, and not by following the tracks 
of wolves, as Mr. Stuart had supposed. Never did 
money diggers turn up a miser’s hoard with more eager 
delight, than did the savages lay open the treasures of 
the caches. Blankets and robes, brass trinkets and blue 
beads were drawn forth with chuckling exultation, and 
long strips of scarlet cloth produced yells of ecstasy. 

The rifling of the caches effected a change in the for¬ 
tunes and deportment of the whole party. The Snakes 
were better clad and equipped than ever were Snakes 
before, and the three Canadians, suddenly finding them¬ 
selves with horse to ride and weapon to wear, were, like 
beggars on horseback, ready to ride on any wild scamper. 
An opportunity soon presented. The Snakes determined 
on a hunting match on the buffalo prairies, to lay in a 
supply of beef, that they might live in plenty, as became 
men of their improved condition. The three newly 
mounted cavaliers must fain accompany them. They all 
traversed the Rocky Mountains in safety, descended to 
the head waters of the Missouri, and made great havoc 
among the buffaloes. 

Their hunting camp was full of meat; they were gorg¬ 
ing themselves, like true Indians, with present plenty, 
and drying and jerking great quantities for a winter’s 
supply. In the midst of their revelry and good cheer, 
the camp was surprised by the Blackfeet. Several of the 


A GATHERING OF STRAGGLERS. 


595 


Snakes were slain on tlie spot; the residue, with their 
three Canadian allies, fled to the mountains, stripped of 
horses, buffalo meat, everything; and made their way 
back to the old encampment on Snake River, poorer than 
ever, but esteeming themselves fortunate in having es¬ 
caped with their lives. They had not been long there 
when the Canadians were cheered by the sight of a com¬ 
panion in misfortune, Dubreuil, the poor voyageur who 
had left Mr. Crooks in March, being too much exhausted 
to keep on with him. Not long afterwards, three other 
straggling members of the main expedition made their 
appearance. These were Carson, St. Michael, and Pierre 
Delaunay, three of the trappers who, in company with 
Pierre Detaye, had been left among the mountains by 
Mr. Hunt, to trap beaver, in the preceding month of Sep¬ 
tember. They had departed from the main body well 
armed and provided, with horses to ride, and horses to 
carry the peltries they were to collect. They came wan¬ 
dering into the Snake camp as ragged and destitute as 
their predecessors. It appears that they had finished 
their trapping, and were making their way in the spring 
to the Missouri, when they were met and attacked by a 
powerful band of the all-pervading Crows. They made a 
desperate resistance, and killed seven of the savages, but 
were overpowered by numbers. Pierre Detaye was slain, 
the rest were robbed of horses and effects, and obliged 
to turn back, when they fell in with their old companions, 
as already mentioned. 


596 


ASTORIA. 


We should observe, that at the heels of Pierre Delau¬ 
nay came draggling an Indian wife, whom he had picked 
up in his wanderings ; having grown weary of celibacy 
among the savages. 

The whole seven of this forlorn fraternity of adven¬ 
turers, thus accidentally congregated on the banks of 
Snake River, were making arrangements once more to 
cross the mountains, when some Indian scouts brought 
word of the approach of the little band headed by John 
Reed. 

The latter, having heard the several stories of these 
wanderers, took them all into his party, and set out for 
the Caldron Linn, to clear out two or three of the caches 
which had not been revealed to the Indians. 

At that place he met with Robinson, the Kentucky vet¬ 
eran, who, with his two comrades, Rezner and Hoback, 
had remained there when Mr. Stuart went on. This ad¬ 
venturous trio had been trapping higher up the river, 
but Robinson had come down in a canoe, to await the 
expected arrival of the party, and obtain horses and 
equipments. He told Reed the story of the robbery of 
his party by the Arapahays, but it differed, in some par¬ 
ticulars, from the account given by him to Mr. Stuart. 
In that, he had represented Cass as having shamefully 
deserted his companions in their extremity, carrying off 
with him a horse ; in the one now given, he spoke of him 
as having been killed in the affray with the Arapahays. 
This discrepancy, of which, of course Reed could have 


REMOVING GOODS FROM THE CACHES. 


597 


had no knowledge at the time, concurred with other cir¬ 
cumstances, to occasion afterwards some mysterious 
speculations and dark surmises as to the real fate of 
Cass ; but as no substantial grounds were ever adduced 
for them, we forbear to throw any deeper shades into 
this story of sufferings in the wilderness. 

Mr. Reed, having gathered the remainder of the goods 
from the caches, put himself at the head of his party, 
now augmented by the seven men thus casually picked 
up, and the squaw of Pierre Delaunay, and made his way 
successfully to M’Kenzie’s Post, on the waters of the 
ShahaptaiL 


CHAPTER Lin, 


t 

DEPARTURE OF MR. HUNT IN THE BEAVER. — PRECAUTIONS AT THE FAO- 
TORY.—DETACHMENT TO THE WOLLAMUT.—GLOOMY APPREHENSIONS.—AR¬ 
RIVAL OF m’KENZIE.—AFFAIRS AT THE SHAHAPTAN.—NEWS OF WAR.—DIS¬ 
MAY OF M’DOUGAL.—DETERMINATION TO ABANDON ASTORIA.—DEPARTURE 
OF M’KENZIE FOR THE INTERIOR.—ADVENTURE AT THE RAPIDS.—VISIT TO 
THE RUFFIANS OF WISH-RAM.—A PERILOUS SITUATION.—MEETING WITH 
M’TAVISH AND HIS PARTY.— ARRIVAL AT THE SHAHAPTAN. — PLUNDERED 
CACHES.—DETERMINATION OF THE WINTERING PARTNERS NOT TO LEAVE THE 
COUNTRY.—ARRIVAL OF CLARKE AMONG THE NEZ PERCIES.—THE AFFAIR OF 
THE SILVER GOBLET.—HANGING OF AN INDIAN.—ARRIVAL OF THE WINTER¬ 
ING PARTNERS AT ASTORIA. 



FTER the departure of the different detach¬ 
ments, or brigades , as they are called by the 
fur traders, the Beaver prepared for her voy¬ 
age along the coast, and her visit to the Russian estab¬ 
lishment, at New Archangel, where she was to carry 
supplies. It had been determined in the council of 
partners at Astoria, that Mr. Hunt should embark in this 
vessel, for the purpose of acquainting himself with the 
coasting trade, and of making arrangements with the 
commander of the Russian post, and that he should be 
relanded in October, at Astoria, by the Beaver, on her 
way to the Sandwich Islands and Canton. 


598 









PRECAUTIONS AT TEE FACTORY. 


599 


The Beaver put to sea in the month of August. Her 
departure, and that of the various brigades, left the for¬ 
tress of Astoria but slightly garrisoned. This was soon 
perceived by some of the Indian tribes, and the conse¬ 
quence was, increased insolence of deportment, and a 
disposition to hostility. It was now the fishing season, 
when the tribes from the northern coast drew into the 
neighborhood of the Columbia. These were warlike and 
perfidious in their dispositions; and noted for their at¬ 
tempts to surprise trading ships. Among them were 
numbers of the Neweetees, the ferocious tribe that mas¬ 
sacred the crew of the Tonquin. 

Great precautions, therefore, were taken at the factory, 
to guard against surprise while these dangerous intruders 
were in the vicinity. Galleries were constructed inside 
of the palisades; the bastions were heightened, and sen¬ 
tinels were posted day and night. Fortunately, the 
Chinooks and other tribes resident in the vicinity mani¬ 
fested the most pacific disposition. Old Comcomly, who 
held sway over them, was a shrewd calculator. He was 
aware of the advantages of having the whites as neigh¬ 
bors and allies, and of the consequence derived to him¬ 
self and his people from acting as intermediate traders 
between them and the distant tribes. He had, therefore, 
by this time, become a firm friend of the Astorians, and 
formed a kind of barrier between them and the hostile 
intruders from the north. 

The summer of 1812 passed away without any of the 


600 


ASTORIA. 


hostilities that had been apprehended; the Neweetees, 
and other dangerous visitors to the neighborhood, fin¬ 
ished their fishing and returned home, and the inmates 
of the factory once more felt secure from attack. 

It now became necessary to guard against other evils. 
The season of scarcity arrived, which commences in Oc¬ 
tober, and lasts until the end of January. To provide 
for the support of the garrison, the shallop was employed 
to forage about the shores of the river. A number of the 
men, also, under the command of some of the clerks, 
were sent to quarter themselves on the banks of the 
Wollamut (the Multnomah of Lewis and Clark), a fine 
river which disembogues itself into the Columbia, about 
sixty miles above Astoria. The country bordering on 
the river is finely diversified with prairies and hills, and 
forests of oak, ash, maple, and cedar. It abounded, at 
that time, with elk and deer, and the streams were well 
stocked with beaver. Here the party, after supplying 
their own wants, were enabled to pack up quantities of 
dried meat, and send it by canoes to Astoria. 

The month of October elapsed without the return of 
the Beaver. November, December, January, passed 
aw^ay, and still nothing was seen or heard of her. 
Gloomy apprehensions now began to be entertained: she 
might have been wrecked in the course of her coasting 
voyage, or surprised, like the Tonquin, by some of the 
treacherous tribes of the north. 

No one indulged more in these apprehensions than 


ARRIVAL OF M’KENZIE. 


601 


M’Dougal, who had now the charge of the establishment. 
He no longer evinced the bustling confidence and buoy¬ 
ancy which once characterized him. Command seemed 
to have lost its charms for him, or rather, he gave way to 
the most abject despondency, decrying the whole enter¬ 
prise, magnifying every untoward circumstance, and fore¬ 
boding nothing but evil. 

While in this moody state, he was surprised, on the 
16th of January, by the sudden appearance of M’Kenzie, 
wayworn and weather-beaten by a long wintry journey 
from his post on the Shahaptan, and with a face the very 
frontispiece for a volume of misfortune. M’Kenzie had 
been heartily disgusted and disappointed at his post. It 
was in the midst of the Tushepaws, a powerful and 
warlike nation, divided into many tribes, under differ¬ 
ent chiefs, who possessed innumerable horses, but, 
not having turned their attention to beaver trapping, 
had no furs to offer. According to M’Kenzie, they were 
but a “ rascally tribe; ” from which we may infer that 
they were prone to consult their own interests, more 
than comported with the interests of a greedy Indian 
trader. 

Game being scarce, he was obliged to rely, for the most 
part, on horse-flesh for subsistence, and the Indians dis¬ 
covering his necessities, adopted a policy usual in civil¬ 
ized trade, and raised the price of horses to an exorbitant 
rate, knowing that he and his men must eat or die. In 
this way, the goods he had brought to trade for beaver- 


602 


ASTORIA. 


skins, were likely to be bartered for horse-flesh, and all 
the proceeds devoured upon the spot. 

He had despatched trappers in various directions, but 
the country around did not offer more beaver than his 
own station. In this emergency he began to think of 
abandoning his unprofitable post, sending his goods to 
the posts of Clarke and David Stuart, who could make a 
better use of them, as they were in a good beaver coun¬ 
try, and returning with his party to Astoria, to seek some 
better destination. With this view he repaired to the 
post of Mr. Clarke, to hold a consultation. While the 
two partners were in conference in Mr. Clarke’s wigwam, 
an unexpected visitor came bustling in upon them. 

This was Mr. John George M’Tavish, a partner of the 
Northwest Company, who had charge of the rival trading 
posts established in that neighborhood. Mr. M’Tavish 
was the delighted messenger of bad news. He had been 
to Lake Winnipeg, where he received an express from 
Canada, containing the declaration of war, and Presi¬ 
dent Madison’s proclamation, which he handed with the 
most officious complaisance to Messrs. Clarke and M’Ken- 
zie. He moreover told them that he had received a fresh 
supply of goods from the Northwest posts on the other 
side of the Rocky Mountains, and was prepared for 
vigorous opposition to the establishment of the Ameri¬ 
can Company. He capped the climax of this obliging, 
but belligerent intelligence, by informing them that the 
armed ship, Isaac Todd, was to be at the mouth of the 


A RASH RESOLUTION. 


603 


Columbia about the beginning of March, to get posses¬ 
sion of the trade of the river, and that he was ordered to 
join her there at that time. 

The receipt of this news determined M’Kenzie. He 
immediately returned to the Shahaptan, broke up his 
establishment, deposited his goods in cache> and hastened 
with all his people to Astoria. 

The intelligence thus brought, completed the dismay 
of M’Dougal, and seemed to produce a complete confu¬ 
sion of mind. He held a council of war with M’Kenzie, 
at which some of the clerks were present, but of course 
had no votes. They gave up all hope of maintaining 
their post at Astoria. The Beaver had probably been 
lost; they could receive no aid from the United States, 
as all the ports would be blockaded. From England 
nothing could be expected but hostility. It was deter¬ 
mined therefore, to abandon the establishment in the 
course of the following spring, and return across the 
Bocky Mountains. 

In pursuance of this resolution, they suspended all 
trade with the natives, except for provisions, having 
already more peltries than they could carry away, and 
having need of all the goods for the clothing and sub¬ 
sistence of their people, during the remainder of their 
sojourn, and on their journey across the mountains. This 
intention of abandoning Astoria was, however, kept se¬ 
cret from the men, lest they should at once give up all 
labor, and become restless and insubordinate. 


604 


ASTORIA 


In the meantime, M’Kenzie set off for his post at the 
Shahaptan, to get his goods from the caches, and buy 
horses and provisions with them for the caravan across 
the mountains. He was charged with despatches from 
M’Dougal to Messrs. Stuart and Clarke, apprising them 
of the intended migration, that they might make timely 
preparations. 

M’Kenzie was accompanied by two of the clerks, Mr. 
John Reed, the Irishman, and Mr. Alfred Seton, of New 
York. They embarked in two canoes, manned by seven¬ 
teen men, and ascended the river without any incident of 
importance, until they arrived in the eventful neighbor¬ 
hood of the rapids. They made the portage of the nar¬ 
rows and the falls early in the afternoon, and, having 
partaken of a scanty meal, had now a long evening on 
their hands. 

On the opposite side of the river lay the village of 
Wish-ram, of freebooting renown. Here lived the sav¬ 
ages who had robbed and maltreated Reed, when bearing 
his tin box of despatches. It was known that the rifle of 
which he was despoiled was retained as a trophy at the 
village. M’Kenzie offered to cross the river, and demand 
the rifle, if any one would accompany him. It was a 
hare-brained project, for these villages were noted for the 
ruffian character of their inhabitants ; yet two volunteers 
promptly stepped forward; Alfred Seton, the clerk, and 
Joe de la Pierre, the cook. The trio soon reached the 
opposite side of the river. On landing, they freshly 


A DEN OF RUFFIANS. 


605 


primed their rifles and pistols. A path winding for 
about a hundred yards among rocks and crags, led to the 
village. No notice seemed to be taken of their approach. 
Not a solitary being, man, woman, or child, greeted 
them. The very dogs, those noisy pests of an Indian 
town, kept silence. On entering the village, a boy made 
his appearance, and pointed to a house of larger dimen¬ 
sions than the rest. They had to stoop to enter it; as 
soon as they had passed the threshold, the narrow pas¬ 
sage behind them was filled up by a sudden rush of In¬ 
dians, who had before kept out of sight. 

M’Kenzie and his companions found themselves in a 
rude chamber of about twenty-five feet long and twenty 
wide. A bright fire was blazing at one end, near which 
sat the chief, about sixty years old. A large number of 
Indians, wrapped in buffalo robes, were squatted in rows, 
three deep, forming a semicircle round three sides of the 
room. A single glance around sufficed to show them the 
grim and dangerous assembly into which they had in¬ 
truded, and that all retreat was cut off by the mass 
which blocked up the entrance. 

The chief pointed to the vacant side of the room oppo¬ 
site to the door, and motioned for them to take their 
seats. They complied. A dead pause ensued. The grim 
warriors around sat like statues; each muffled in his 
robe, with his fierce eyes bent on the intruders. The 
latter felt they were in a perilous predicament. 

“ Keep your eyes on the chief while I am addressing 


606 


ASTORIA. 


him,” said M’Kenzie to liis companions. “Should he 
give any sign to his band, shoot him, and make for the 
door.” 

M’Kenzie advanced, and offered the pipe of peace to 
the chief, but it was refused. He then made a regular 
speech, explaining the object of their visit, and proposing 
to give in exchange for the rifle two blankets, an axe, 
some beads and tobacco. 

When he had done, the chief rose, began to address 
him in a low voice, but soon became loud and violent, 
and ended by working himself up into a furious passion. 
He upbraided the white men for their sordid conduct in 
passing and repassing through their neighborhood, with¬ 
out giving them a blanket or any other article of goods, 
merely because they had no furs to barter in exchange, 
and he alluded, with menaces of vengeance, to the death 
of the Indian killed by the whites in the skirmish at the 
falls. 

Matters were verging to a crisis. It was evident the 
surrounding savages were only waiting a signal from the 
chief to spring upon their prey. M’Kenzie and his com¬ 
panions had gradually risen on their feet during the 
speech, and had brought their rifles to a horizontal posi¬ 
tion, the barrels resting in their left hands; the muzzle 
of M’Kenzie’s piece was within three feet of the speaker’s 
heart. They cocked their rifles ; the click of the locks 
for a moment suffused the dark cheek of the savage, and 
there was a pause. They coolly, but promptly, advanced 


MEETING WITH NORTHWESTERS. 


607 


to the door; the Indians fell back in awe, and suffered 
them to pass. The sun was just setting, as they emerged 
from this dangerous den. They took the precaution to 
keep along the tops of the rocks as much as possible on 
their way back to the canoe, and reached their camp in 
safety, congratulating themselves on their escape, and 
feeling no desire to make a second visit to the grim war¬ 
riors of Wish-ram. 

M’Kenzie and his party resumed their journey the next 
morning. At some distance above the falls of the Colum¬ 
bia, they observed two bark canoes, filled with white 
men, coming down the river, to the full chant of a set of 
Canadian voyageurs. A parley ensued. It was a detach¬ 
ment of Northwesters, under the command of Mr. John 
George M’Tavish, bound, full of song and spirit, to the 
mouth of the Columbia, to await the arrival of the Isaac 
Todd. 

Mr. M’Kenzie and M’Tavish came to a halt, and land¬ 
ing, encamped together for the night. The voyageurs of 
either party hailed each other as brothers, and old “ com¬ 
rades,” and they mingled together as if united by one 
common interest, instead of belonging to rival compa¬ 
nies, and trading under hostile flags. 

In the morning they proceeded on their different ways, 
in style corresponding to their different fortunes: the one 
toiling painfully against the stream, the other sweeping 
down gayly with the current. 

M’Kenzie arrived safely at his deserted post on the 


608 


ASTORIA. 


Shahaptan, but found, to bis chagrin, that his caches had 
been discovered and rifled by the Indians. Here was a 
dilemma, for on the stolen goods he had depended to 
purchase horses of the Indians. He sent out men in all 
directions to endeavor to discover the thieves, and de¬ 
spatched Mr. Reed to the posts of Messrs. Clarke and 
David Stuart, with the letters of Mr. M’Dougal. 

The resolution announced in these letters, to break up 
and depart from Astoria, was condemned by both Clarke 
and Stuart. These two gentlemen had been very suc¬ 
cessful at their posts, and considered it rash and pusil¬ 
lanimous to abandon, on the first difficulty, an enterprise 
of such great cost and ample promise. They made no 
arrangements, therefore, for leaving the country, but 
acted with a view to the maintenance of their new and 
prosperous establishments. 

The regular time approached, when the partners of the 
interior posts were to rendezvous at the mouth of the 
Wallah-Wallah, on their way to Astoria, with the peltries 
they had collected. Mr. Clarke accordingly packed all 
his furs on twenty-eight horses, and, leaving a clerk and 
four men to take charge of the post, departed on the 25th 
of May with the residue of his force. 

On the 30th, he arrived at the confluence of the Pavion 
and Lewis rivers, where he had left his barge and canoes, 
in the guardianship of the old Pierced-nosed chieftain. 
That dignitary had acquitted himself more faithfully to 
his charge than Mr. Clarke had expected, and the canoes 


THEFT OF THE GUP. 


609 


were found in very tolerable order. Some repairs were 
necessary, and, while they were making, the party en¬ 
camped close by the village. Having had repeated and 
vexatious proofs of the pilfering propensities of this tribe 
during his former visit, Mr. Clarke ordered that a wary 
eye should be kept upon them. 

He was a tall, good-looking man, and somewhat given 
to pomp and circumstance, which made him an object of 
note in the eyes of the wondering savages. He was 
stately, too, in his appointments, and had a silver goblet 
or drinking cup, out of which he would drink with a mag¬ 
nificent air, and then lock it up in a large garde vin , which 
accompanied him in his travels, and stood in his tent 
This goblet had originally been sent as a present from 
Mr. Astor to Mr. M’Kay, the partner who had unfortu¬ 
nately been blown up in the Tonquin. As it reached As¬ 
toria after the departure of that gentleman, it had re¬ 
mained in the possession of Mr. Clarke. 

A silver goblet was too glittering a prize not to catch 
the eye of a Pierced-nose. It was like the shining tin 
case of John Eeed. Such a wonder had never been seen 
in the land before. The Indians talked about it to one 
another. They marked the care with which it was de¬ 
posited in the garde vin , like a relic in its shrine, and 
concluded that it must be a “great medicine.” That 
night Mr. Clarke neglected to lock up his treasure; in 
the morning the sacred casket was open—the precious 
relic gone! 

39 


610 


ASTORIA. 


Clarke was now outrageous. All the past vexations 
that he had suffered from this pilfering community rose 
to mind, and he threatened that, unless the goblet was 
promptly returned, he would hang the thief, should he 
eventually discover him. The day passed away, however, 
without the restoration of the cup. At night sentinels 
were secretly posted about the camp. With all their vigi¬ 
lance, a Pierced-nose contrived to get into the camp un¬ 
perceived, and to load himself with booty; it was only on 
his retreat that he was discovered and taken. 

At daybreak the culprit was brought to trial, and 
promptly convicted. He stood responsible for all the spoli¬ 
ations of the camp, the precious goblet among the num¬ 
ber, and Mr. Clarke passed sentence of death upon him. 

A gibbet was accordingly constructed of oars : the chief 
of the village and his people were assembled, and the 
culprit was produced, with his legs and arms pinioned. 
Clarke then made a harangue. He reminded the tribe of 
the benefits he had bestowed upon them during his for¬ 
mer visits, and the many thefts and other misdeeds which 
he had overlooked. The prisoner, especially, had always 
been peculiarly well treated by the white men, but had 
repeatedly been guilty of pilfering. He was to be pun¬ 
ished for his own misdeeds, and as a warning to his tribe. 

The Indians now gathered round Mr. Clarke, and in¬ 
terceded for the culprit. They were willing he should be 
punished severely, but implored that his life might be 
spared. The companions, too, of Mr. Clarke, considered 


AN EXECUTION 


611 


the sentence too severe, and advised him to mitigate it; 
but he was inexorable. He was not naturally a stem or 
cruel man; but from his boyhood he had lived in the 
Indian country among Indian traders, and held the life 
of a savage extremely cheap. He was, moreover, a firm 
believer in the doctrine of intimidation. 

Farnham, a clerk, a tall “Green Mountain boy” from 
Vermont, who had been robbed of a pistol, acted as exe¬ 
cutioner. The signal was given, and the poor Pierced- 
nose resisting, struggling, and screaming, in the most 
frightful manner, was launched into eternity. The In¬ 
dians stood round gazing in silence and mute awe, but 
made no attempt to oppose the execution, nor testified 
any emotion when it was over. They locked up their 
feelings within their bosoms until an opportunity should 
arrive to gratify them with a bloody act of vengeance. 

To say nothing of the needless severity of this act, its 
impolicy was glaringly obvious. Mr. M’Lennan and three 
men were to return to the post with the horses, their 
loads having been transferred to the canoes. They would 
have to pass through a tract of country infested by this 
tribe, who were all horsemen and hard riders, and might 
pursue them to take vengeance for the death of their com¬ 
rade. M’Lennan, however, was a resolute fellow, ana 
made light of all dangers. He and his three men were 
present at the execution, and set off as soon as life was 
extinct in the victim; but, to use the words of one of their 
comrades, “ they did not let the grass grow under the 


612 


ASTORIA. 


heels of their horses, as they clattered out of the Pierced- 
nose country,” and were glad to find themselves in safety 
at the post. 

Mr. Clarke and his party embarked about the same 
time in their canoes, and early on the following day 
reached the mouth of the Wallah-Wallah, where they 
found Messrs. Stuart and M’Kenzie awaiting them; the 
latter having recovered part of the goods stolen from his 
cache. Clarke informed them of the signal punishment 
he had inflicted on the Pierced-nose, evidently expecting 
to excite their admiration by such a hardy act of justice, 
performed in the very midst of the Indian country, but 
was mortified at finding it strongly censured as inhuman, 
unnecessary, and likely to provoke hostilities. 

The parties thus united formed a squadron of two 
boats and six canoes, with which they performed their 
voyage in safety down the river, and arrived at Astoria on 
the 12th of June, bringing with them a valuable stock of 
peltries. 

About ten days previously, the brigade which had been 
quartered on the banks of the Wollamut, had arrived 
with numerous packs of beaver, the result of a few 
months’ sojourn on that river. These were the first fruits 
of the enterprise, gathered by men as yet mere strangers 
in the land; but they were such as to give substantial 
grounds for sanguine anticipations of profit, when the 
country should be more completely explored, and the 
trade established. 


CHAPTER LIY. 


THE PARTNERS DISPLEASED WITH m’DOUGAL.—EQUIVOCAL CONDUCT OP THAT 
GENTLEMAN.—PARTNERS AGREE TO ABANDON ASTORIA.—SALE OP GOODS TO 
M’TAVISH.—ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TEAR.—MANIFESTO SIGNED BY THE 
PARTNERS.—DEPARTURE OP M’TAVISH FOR THE INTERIOR. 

B HE partners found Mr. M’Dougal in all the bus¬ 
tle of preparation; haying about nine days pre¬ 
viously announced at the factory, his intention 
of breaking up the establishment, and fixed upon the 1st 
of July for the time of departure. Messrs. Stuart and 
Clarke felt highly displeased at his taking so precipitate 
a step, without waiting for their concurrence, when he 
must have known that their arrival could not be far 
distant. 

Indeed, the whole conduct of Mr. M’Dougal was such 
as to awaken strong doubts as to his loyal devotion to the 
cause. His old sympathies with the Northwest Com¬ 
pany seem to have revived. He had received M’Tavish 
and his party with uncalled for hospitality, as though 
they were friends and allies, instead of being a party of 
observation, come to reconnoitre the state of affairs at 
Astoria, and to await the arrival of a hostile ship. Had 
they been left to themselves, they would have been 

613 








614 


ASTORIA . 


starved off for want of provisions, or driven away by the 
Chinooks, who only wanted a signal from the factory to 
treat them as intruders and enemies. M’Dougal, on the 
contrary, had supplied them from the stores of the garri¬ 
son, and had gained them the favor of the Indians, by 
treating them as friends. 

Having set his mind fixedly on the project of breaking 
up the establishment at Astoria, in the current year, 
M’Dougal was sorely disappointed at finding that 
Messrs. Stuart and Clarke had omitted to comply with 
his request to purchase horses and provisions for the 
caravan across the mountains. It was now too late to 
make the necessary preparations in time for traversing 
the mountains before winter, and the project had to be 
postponed. 

In the meantime, the non-arrival of the annual ship, 
and the apprehensions entertained of the loss of the Bea¬ 
ver and of Mr. Hunt, had their effect upon the minds of 
Messrs. Stuart and Clarke. They began to listen to the 
desponding representations of M’Dougal, seconded by 
M’Kenzie, who inveighed against their situation as des¬ 
perate and forlorn ; left to shift for themselves, or perish 
upon a barbarous coast; neglected by those who sent 
them there ; and threatened with dangers of every kind. 
In this way they were brought to consent to the plan of 
abandoning the country in the ensuing year. 

About this time, M’Tavish applied at the factory to 
purchase a small supply of goods wherewith to trade his 


TRANSACTIONS AT ASTORIA. 


615 


way back to bis post on the upper waters of tbe Colum¬ 
bia, baying waited in vain for tbe arrival of tbe Isaac 
Todd. His request brought on a consultation among tbe 
partners. M’Dougal urged tbat it should be complied 
with. He furthermore proposed, tbat they should give 
up to M’Tavish, for a proper consideration, the post on 
the Spokan, and all its dependencies, as they bad not 
sufficient goods on band to supply tbat post themselves, 
and to keep up a competition with tbe Northwest Com¬ 
pany in tbe trade with tbe neighboring Indians. This 
last representation has since been proved incorrect. By 
inventories, it appears tbat their stock in hand for tbe 
supply of tbe interior posts, was superior to tbat of tbe 
Northwest Company; so tbat they bad nothing to fear 
from competition. 

Through tbe influence of Messrs. M’Dougal and M’Ken- 
zie, this proposition was adopted, and was promptly 
accepted by M’Tavish. Tbe merchandise sold to him 
amounted to eight hundred and fifty-eight dollars, to be 
paid for, in tbe following spring, in horses, or in any 
other manner most acceptable to the partners at that 
period. 

This agreement being concluded, the partners formed 
their plans for the year that they would yet have to pass 
in the country. Their objects were, chiefly, present sub¬ 
sistence, and the purchase of horses for the contemplated 
journey, though they were likewise to collect as much 
peltries as their diminished means would command. Ac- 


616 


ASTORIA . 


cordingly, it was arranged, that David Stuart should re¬ 
turn to his former post on the Oakinagan, and Mr. Clarke 
should make his sojourn among the Flatlieads. John 
Reed, the sturdy Hibernian, was to undertake the Snake 
River country, accompanied by Pierre Dorion and Pierre 
Delaunay, as hunters, and Francis Landry, Jean Bap¬ 
tiste Turcotte, Andre la Chapelle, and Gilles le Clerc, 
Canadian voyageurs. 

Astoria, however, was the post about which they felt 
the greatest solicitude, and on which they all more or 
less depended. The maintenance of this in safety 
throughout the coming year, was, therefore, their grand 
consideration. Mr. M’Dougal was to continue in com¬ 
mand of it, with a party of forty men. They would have 
to depend chiefly upon the neighboring savages for their 
subsistence. These, at present, were friendly, but it was 
to be feared that, when they should discover the exigen¬ 
cies of the post, and its real weakness, they might pro¬ 
ceed to hostilities ; or, at any rate, might cease to fur¬ 
nish their usual supplies. It was important, therefore, 
to render the place as independent as possible, of the 
surrounding tribes for its support; and it was accord¬ 
ingly resolved that M’Kenzie, with four hunters, and 
eight common men, should winter in the abundant coun¬ 
try of Wollamut, from whence they might be enabled to 
furnish a constant supply of provisions to Astoria. 

As there was too great a proportion of clerks for the 
number of privates in the service, the engagements of 


MANIFESTO OF THE PARTNERS. 


617 


three of them, Ross Cox, Ross, and M’Lennan, were sur¬ 
rendered to them, and they immediately enrolled them¬ 
selves in the service of the Northwest Company; glad, 
no doubt, to escape from what they considered a sinking 
ship. 

Having made all these arrangements, the four partners, 
on the first of July, signed a formal manifesto, stating the 
alarming state of their affairs, from the non-arrival of the 
annual ship, and the absence and apprehended loss of 
the Beaver, their want of goods, their despair of receiv¬ 
ing any further supply, their ignorance of the coast, and 
their disappointment as to the interior trade, which they 
pronounced unequal to the expenses incurred, and incom¬ 
petent to stand against the powerful opposition of the 
Northwest Company. And as by the 16th article of the 
company’s agreement, they were authorized to abandon 
this undertaking, and dissolve the concern, if before the 
period of five years it should be found unprofitable, they 
now formally announced their intention to do so on the 
1st day of June, of the ensuing year, unless in the interim 
they should receive the necessary support and supplies 
from Mr. Astor, or the stockholders, with orders to con¬ 
tinue. 

This instrument, accompanied by private letters of 
similar import, was delivered to Mr. M’Tavish, who de¬ 
parted on the 5th of July. He engaged to forward the 
despatches to Mr. Astor, by the usual winter express sent 
overland by the Northwest Company. 


618 


ASTORIA. 


The manifesto was signed with great reluctance by 
Messrs. Clarke and D. Stuart, whose experience by no 
means justified the discouraging account given in it of 
the internal trade, and who considered the main difficul¬ 
ties of exploring an unknown and savage country, and of 
ascertaining the best trading and trapping grounds, in a 
great measure overcome. They were overruled, however, 
by the urgent instances of M’Dougal and M’Kenzie, who, 
having resolved upon abandoning the enterprise, were 
desirous of making as strong a case as possible to excuse 
their conduct to Mr. Astor and to the world. 


CHAPTER LV. 


ANXIETIES OF MR. ASTOR.—MEMORIAL OF THE NORTHWEST COMPANY.—TID¬ 
INGS OF A BRITISH NAVAL EXPEDITION AGAINST ASTORIA.—MR. ASTOR AP¬ 
PLIES TO GOVERNMENT FOR PROTECTION.—THE FRIGATE ADAMS ORDERED 
TO BE FITTED OUT.—BRIGHT NEWS FROM ASTORIA.—8UNSHINE SUDDENLY 
OVERCLOUDED. 


HELE difficulties and disasters had been gather¬ 
ing about the infant settlement of Astoria, the 
mind of its projector at New York was a prey 
to great anxiety. The ship Lark, despatched by him 
with supplies for the establishment, sailed on the 6th of 
March, 1813. Within a fortnight afterwards, he received 
intelligence which justified all his apprehensions of hos¬ 
tility on the part of the British. The Northwest Com¬ 
pany had made a second memorial to that government, 
representing Astoria as an American establishment, stat¬ 
ing the vast scope of its contemplated operations, magni¬ 
fying the strength of its fortifications, and expressing 
their fears that, unless crushed in the bud, it would effect 
the downfall of their trade. 

Influenced by these representations, the British gov¬ 
ernment ordered the frigate Phoebe to be detached as a 
convoy for the armed ship, Isaac Todd, which was ready 

619 





620 


ASTORIA. 


to sail with men and munitions for forming a new estab* 
lishment. They were to proceed together to the mouth 
of the Columbia, capture or destroy whatever American 
fortress they should find there, and plant the British flag 
on its ruins. 

Informed of these movements, Mr. Astor lost no time 
in addressing a second letter to the secretary of state, 
communicating this intelligence, and requesting it might 
be laid before the President; as no notice, however, had 
been taken of his previous letter, he contented himself 
with this simple communication, and made no further ap¬ 
plication for aid. 

Awakened now to the danger that menaced the estab¬ 
lishment at Astoria, and aware of the importance of pro¬ 
tecting this foothold of American commerce and empire 
on the shores of the Pacific, the government determined 
to send the frigate Adams, Captain Crane, upon this ser¬ 
vice. On hearing of this determination, Mr. Astor imme¬ 
diately proceeded to fit out a ship called the Enterprise, 
to sail in company with the Adams, freighted with ad¬ 
ditional supplies and reinforcements for Astoria. 

About the middle of June, while in the midst of these 
preparations, Mr. Astor received a letter from Mr. B. 
Stuart, dated St. Louis, May 1st, confirming the intelli¬ 
gence already received through the public newspapers, of 
his safe return, and of the arrival of Mr. Hunt and his 
party at Astoria, and giving the most flattering accounts 
of the prosperity of the enterprise. 


NEW TORE BLOCKADED . 


621 


So deep had been the anxiety of Mr. Astor, for the suc¬ 
cess of this great object of his ambition, that this gleam 
of good news was almost overpowering. “ I felt ready,” 
said he, “ to fall upon my knees in a transport of grati¬ 
tude.” 

At the same time he heard that the Beaver had made 
good her voyage from New York to the Columbia. This 
was additional ground of hope for the welfare of the little 
colony. The post being thus relieved and strengthened, 
with an American at its head, and a ship of war about to 
sail for its protection, the prospect for the future seemed 
full of encouragement, and Mr. Astor proceeded with 
fresh vigor to fit out his merchant ship. 

Unfortunately for Astoria, this bright gleam of sun¬ 
shine was soon overclouded. Just as the Adams had re¬ 
ceived her complement of men, and the two vessels were 
ready for sea, news came from Commodore Chauncey, com¬ 
manding on Lake Ontario, that a reinforcement of sea¬ 
men was wanted in that quarter. The demand was ur¬ 
gent, the crew of the Adams was immediately transferred 
to that service, and the ship was laid up. 

This was a most ill-timed and discouraging blow, but 
Mr. Astor would not yet allow himself to pause in his un¬ 
dertaking. He determined to send the Enterprise to sea 
alone, and let her take the chance of making her unpro¬ 
tected way across the ocean. Just at this time, however, 
a British force made its appearance off the Hook; and 
the port of New York was effectually blockaded. To 


622 


ASTORIA. 


send a ship to sea under these circumstances, would be 
to expose her to almost certain capture. The Enterprise 
was, therefore, unloaded and dismantled, and Mr. Astor 
was obliged to comfort himself with the hope that the 
Lark might reach Astoria in safety and, that, aided by 
her supplies, and by the good management of Mr. Hunt 
and his associates, the little colony might be able to 
maintain itself until the return of peace. 


/ 


c \ 



CHAPTER LYI. 

AFFAIRS OF STATE AT ASTORIA.—M’DOUGAL PROPOSES FOR THE HAND OF AM 
INDIAN PRINCESS.—MATRIMONIAL EMBASSY TO COMCOMLY.—MATRIMONIAL 
NOTIONS AMONG THE CHINOOKS.—SETTLEMENTS AND PIN-MONEY. — THE 
BRINGING HOME OF THE BRIDE.—A MANAGING FATHER-IN-LAW.—ARRIVAL 
OF MR. HUNT AT ASTORIA. 



E have hitherto had so much to relate of a 
gloomy and disastrous nature, that it is with a 
feeling of momentary relief we turn to some¬ 
thing of a more pleasing complexion, and record the first, 
and indeed only nuptials in high life that took place in 
the infant settlement of Astoria. 

M’Dougal, who appears to have been a man of a thou¬ 
sand projects, and of great, though somewhat irregular 
ambition, suddenly conceived the idea of seeking the 
hand of one of the native princesses, a daughter of the 
one-eyed potentate Comcomly, who held sway over the 
fishing tribe of the Chinooks, and had long supplied the 
factory with smelts and sturgeons. 

Some accounts give rather a romantic origin to this 
affair, tracing it to the stormy night when M’Dougal, in 
the course of an exploring expedition, was driven by 
stress of weather to seek shelter in the royal abode of 

623 







624 


ASTORIA, 


Comcomly. Then and there he was first struck with the 
charms of the piscatory princess, as she exerted herself 
to entertain her father’s guest. 

The “journal of Astoria,” however, which was kept 
under his own eye, records this union as a high state 
alliance, and great stroke of policy. The factory had to 
depend, in a great measure, on the Chinooks for provi¬ 
sions. They were at present friendly, but it was to be 
feared they would prove otherwise, should they discover 
the weakness and the exigencies of the post, and the in¬ 
tention to leave the country. This alliance, therefore, 
would infallibly rivet Comcomly to the interests of the 
Astorians, and with him the powerful tribe of the Chi¬ 
nooks. Be this as it may, and it is hard to fathom the 
real policy of governors and princes, M’Dougal despatched 
two of the clerks as ambassadors extraordinary, to wait 
upon the one-eyed chieftain, and make overtures for the 
hand of his daughter. 

The Chinooks, though not a very refined nation, have 
notions of matrimonial arrangements that would not dis¬ 
grace the most refined sticklers for settlements and pin- 
money. The suitor repairs not to the bower of his mis¬ 
tress, but to her father’s lodge, and throws down a pres¬ 
ent at his feet. His wishes are then disclosed by some 
discreet friend employed by him for the purpose. If the 
suitor and his present find favor in the eyes of the father, 
he breaks the matter to his daughter, and inquires into 
the state of her inclinations. Should her answer be fa- 


MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCE. 


625 


vorable, the suit is accepted and the lover has to make 
further presents to the father, of horses, canoes, and 
other valuables, according to the beauty and merits of 
the bride; looking forward to a return in kind whenever 
they shall go to housekeeping. 

We have more than once had occasion to speak of the 
shrewdness of Comcomly ; but never was it exerted more 
adroitly than on this occasion. He was a great friend of 
M’Dougal, and pleased with the idea of having so dis¬ 
tinguished a son-in-law ; but so favorable an opportunity 
of benefiting his own fortune was not likely to occur a 
second time, and he determined to make the most of it. 
Accordingly, the negotiation was protracted with true 
diplomatic skill. Conference after conference was held 
with the two ambassadors. Comcomly was extravagant 
in his terms; rating the charms of his daughter at the 
highest price, and indeed she is represented as having 
one of the flattest and most aristocratical heads in the 
tribe. At length the preliminaries were all happily ad¬ 
justed. On the 20th of July, early in the afternoon, a 
squadron of canoes crossed over from the village of the 
Chinooks, bearing the royal family of Comcomly, and all 
his court. 

That worthy sachem landed in princely state, arrayed 
in a bright blue blanket and red breech clout, with an 
extra quantity of paint and feathers, attended by a train 
of half-naked warriors and nobles. A horse was in wait¬ 
ing to receive the princess, who was mounted behind one 
40 


626 


ASTORIA. 


of the clerks, and thus conveyed, coy but compliant, to 
the fortress. Here she was received with devout, though 
decent joy, by her expecting bridegroom. 

Her bridal adornments, it is true, at first caused some 
little dismay, having painted and anointed herself for the 
occasion according to the Chinook toilet; by dint, how¬ 
ever, of copious ablutions, she was freed from all adven¬ 
titious tint and fragrance, and entered into the nuptial 
state, the cleanest princess that had ever been known, of 
the somewhat unctuous tribe of the Chinooks. 

From that time forward, Comcomly was a daily visitor 
at the fort, and was admitted into the most intimate 
councils of his son-in-law. He took an interest in every¬ 
thing that was going forward, but was particularly 
frequent in his visits to the blacksmith’s shop; tasking 
the labors of the artificer in iron for every kind of weapon 
and implement suited to the savage state, insomuch that 
the necessary business of the factory was often post¬ 
poned to attend to his requisitions. 

The honey-moon had scarce passed away, and M’Dou- 
gal was seated with his bride in the fortress of Astoria, 
when, about noon of the 20th of August, Gassacop, the 
son of Comcomly, hurried into his presence with great 
agitation, and announced a ship at the mouth of the 
river. The sews produced a vast sensation. Was it a 
ship of peace or war? Was it American or British? 
Was it the Beaver or the Isaac Todd? M’Dougal hur¬ 
ried to the water side, threw himself into a boat, and 


ARRIVAL OF A SHIP. 


627 


ordered the hands to pull with all speed for the mouth 
of the harbor. Those in the fort remained watching the 
entrance of the river, anxious to know whether they were 
to prepare for greeting a friend or fighting an enemy. At 
length the ship was descried crossing the bar, and bend¬ 
ing her course towards Astoria. Every gaze was fixed 
upon her in silent scrutiny, until the American flag was 
recognized. A general shout was the first expression of 
joy, and next a salutation was thundered from the cannon 
of the fort. 

The vessel came to anchor on the opposite side of the 
river, and returned the salute. The boat of Mr. M’Dou- 
gal went on board, and was seen returning late in the 
afternoon. The Astorians watched her with straining 
eyes, to discover who were on board, but the sun went 
down, and the evening closed in, before she was suffi¬ 
ciently near. At length she reached the land, and Mr. 
Hunt stepped on shore. He was hailed as one risen 
from the dead, and his return was a signal for merriment 
almost equal to that which prevailed at the nuptials of 
M’Dougal. 

We must now explain the cause of this gentleman’s 
long absence, which had given rise to such gloomy and 
dispiriting surmises. 


CHAPTER LYIL 


TOTAGE OF THE BEATER TO NEW ARCHANGEL.—A RUSSIAN GOVERNOR.—ROYS- 
TERING RULE.—THE TYRANNY OF THE TABLE.—HARD DRINKING BARGAIN¬ 
INGS.—VOYAGE TO KAMTSCHATKA.—SEAL CATCHING ESTABLISHMENT AT ST. 
PAUL’S.—STORMS AT SEA.—MR. HUNT LEFT AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.— 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE BEAVER AT CANTON.—RETURN OF MR. HUNT TO 
ASTORIA. 


will be recollected, that the destination of the 
Beaver, when she sailed from Astoria on the 
:th of August in 1812, was to proceed north¬ 
wardly along the coast to Sheetka, or New Archangel, 
there to dispose of that part of her cargo intended for the 
supply of the Russian establishment at that place, and 
then to return to Astoria, where it was expected she 
would arrive in October. 

New Archangel is situated in Norfolk Sound, lat. 57° 2' 
N., long. 135° 50' W. It was the head-quarters of the 
different colonies of the Russian Fur Company, and the 
common rendezvous of the American vessels trading 
along the coast. 

The Beaver met with nothing worthy of particular 
mention in her voyage, and arrived at New Archangel on 
the 19th of August. The place at that time was the 









A RUSSIAN GOVERNOR. 


629 


residence of Count BaranhofF, the governor of the dif¬ 
ferent colonies; a rough, rugged, hospitable, hard-drink¬ 
ing old Russian; somewhat of a soldier, somewhat of a 
trader; above all, a boon companion of the old roystering 
school, with a strong cross of the bear. 

Mr. Hunt found this hyperborean veteran ensconced in 
a fort which crested the whole of a high rocky promon¬ 
tory. It mounted one hundred guns, large and small, and 
was impregnable to Indian attack, unaided by artillery. 
Here the old governor lorded it over sixty Russians, who 
formed the corps of the trading establishment, besides an 
indefinite number of Indian hunters of the Kodiak tribe, 
who were continually coming and going, or lounging and 
loitering about the fort like so many hounds round a 
sportsman’s hunting quarters. Though a loose liver 
among his guests, the governor was a strict disciplinarian 
among his men; keeping them in perfect subjection, and 
having seven on guard night and day. 

Beside those immediate serfs and dependants just men¬ 
tioned, the old Russian potentate exerted a considerable 
sway over a numerous and irregular class of maritime 
traders, who looked to him for aid and munitions, and 
through whom he may be said to have, in some degree, 
extended his power along the whole northwest coast. 
These were American captains of vessels engaged in a 
particular department of the trade. One of these cap¬ 
tains would come, in a manner, empty-handed to New 
Archangel. Here his ship would be furnished with about 


630 


ASTORIA. 


fifty canoes and a hundred Kodiak hunters, and fitted out 
with provisions, and everything necessary for hunting the 
sea-otter on the coast of California, where the Russians 
have another establishment. The ship would ply along 
the Californian coast from place to place, dropping par¬ 
ties of otter hunters in their canoes, furnishing them only 
with water, and leaving them to depend upon their own 
dexterity for a maintenance. When a sufficient cargo was 
collected, she would gather up her canoes and hunters, 
and return with them to Archangel; where the captain 
would render in the returns of his voyage, and receive 
one half of the skins for his share. 

Over these coasting captains, as we have hinted, the 
veteran governor exerted some sort of sway, but it was of 
a peculiar and characteristic kind; it was the tyranny of 
the table. They were obliged to join him in his “ pros- 
nics” or carousals, and to drink “ potations pottle deep.” 
His carousals, too, were not of the most quiet kind, nor 
were his potations as mild as nectar. “ He is continually,” 
said Mr. Hunt, “ giving entertainments by way of parade, 
and if you do not drink raw rum, and boiling punch as 
strong as sulphur, he will insult you as soon as he gets 
drunk, which is very shortly after sitting down to table.” 

As to any “ temperance captain ” who stood fast to his 
faith, and refused to give up his sobriety, he might go 
elsewhere for a market, for he stood no chance with the 
governor. Rarely, however, did any cold-water caitiff of 
the kind darken the door of old Baranhoff; the coasting 


TYRANNY OF TEE TABLE. 


631 


captains knew too well his humor and their own inter¬ 
ests ; they joined in his revels, they drank, and sang, and 
whooped, and hiccuped, until they all got “ half seas 
over,” and then affairs went on swimmingly. 

An awful warning to all “ flinchers ” occurred shortly 
before Mr. Hunt’s arrival. A young naval officer had re¬ 
cently been sent out by the emperor to take command of 
one of the company’s vessels. The governor, as usual, 
had him at his “ prosnics,” and plied him with fiery 
potations. The young man stood on the defensive until 
the old count’s ire was completely kindled ; he carried 
his point, and made the greenhorn tipsy, willy nilly. In 
proportion as they grew fuddled they grew noisy, they 
quarrelled in their cups ; the youngster paid old Baran- 
hoff in his own coin by rating him soundly; in reward 
for which, when sober, he was taken the rounds of four 
pickets, and received seventy-nine lashes, taled out with 
Russian punctuality of punishment. 

Such was the old grizzled bear with whom Mr. Hunt 
had to do his business. How he managed to cope with 
his humor; whether he pledged himself in raw rum and 
blazing punch, and “ clinked the can ” with him as they 
made their bargains, does not appear upon record; we 
must infer, however, from his general observations on 
the absolute sway of this hard-drinking potentate, that 
he had to conform to the customs of his court, and that 
their business transactions presented a maudlin mixture 
of punch and peltry. 


G32 


ASTORIA . 


The greatest annoyance to Mr. Hunt, however, was the 
delay to which he was subjected, in disposing of the 
cargo of the ship, and getting the requisite returns. 
With all the governor’s devotions to the bottle, he never 
obfuscated his faculties sufficiently to lose sight of his 
interest, and is represented by Mr. Hunt as keen, not to 
say crafty, at a bargain, as the most arrant water-drinker. 
A long time was expended negotiating with him, and by 
the time the bargain was concluded, the month of Octo¬ 
ber had arrived. To add to the delay he was to be paid 
for his cargo in seal skins. Now it so happened that 
there was none of this kind of peltry at the fort of old 
Baranhoff. It was necessary, therefore, for Mr. Hunt to 
proceed to a seal-catching establishment, which the 
Russian company had at the island of St. Paul, in the 
Sea of Kamtschatka. He accordingly set sail on the 4th 
of October, after having spent forty-five days at New 
Archangel boosing and bargaining with its roystering 
commander, and right glad was he to escape from the 
clutches of “ this old man of the sea.” 

The Beaver arrived at St. Paul’s on the 31st of Octo¬ 
ber ; by which time, according to arrangement, he ought 
to have been back at Astoria. The island of St. Paul is 
in latitude 57° N., longitude 170° or 171° W. Its shores, 
in certain places, and at certain seasons, are covered with 
seals, while others are playing about in the water. Of 
these, the Russians take only the small ones, from seven 
to ten months old, and carefully select the males, giving 


FISHY FOOL AND FUEL. 


633 


the females their freedom, that the breed may not be di¬ 
minished. The islanders, however, kill the large ones for 
provisions, and for skins wherewith to cover their canoes. 
They drive them from the shore over the rocks, until 
within a short distance of their habitations, where they 
kill them. By this means, they save themselves the 
trouble of carrying the skins and have the flesh at hand. 
This is thrown in heaps, and when the season for skin¬ 
ning is over, they take out the entrails and make one heap 
of the blubber. This, with drift-wood, serves for fuel, for 
the island is entirely destitute of trees. They make 
another heap of the flesh, which, with the eggs of sea- 
fowls, preserved in oil, an occasional sea-lion, a few ducks 
in winter, and some wild roots, compose their food. 

Mr. Hunt found several Russians at the island, and one 
hundred hunters, natives of Oonalaska, with their fami¬ 
lies. They lived in cabins that looked like canoes; be¬ 
ing, for the most part formed of the jaw-bone of a whale, 
put up as rafters, across which were laid pieces of drift¬ 
wood covered over with long grass, the skins of large sea 
animals, and earth ; so as to be quite comfortable, in de¬ 
spite of the rigors of the climate ; though we are told they 
had as ancient and fish-like an odor, “ as had the quarters 
of Jonah, when he lodged within the whale.” 

In one of these odoriferous mansions, Mr. Hunt occa¬ 
sionally took up his abode, that he might be at hand to 
hasten the loading of the ship. The operation, however, 
was somewhat slow, for it was necessary to overhaul and 


634 


ASTORIA. 


inspect every pack to prevent imposition, and the peltries 
had then to be conveyed in large boats, made of skins, 
to the ship, which was some little distance from the 
shore, standing off and on. 

One night, while Mr. Hunt was on shore, with some 
others of the crew, there arose a terrible gale. When 
the day broke, the ship was not to be seen. He watched 
for her with anxious eyes until night, but in vain. Day 
after day of boisterous storms, and howling wintry weath¬ 
er, were passed in watchfulness and solicitude. Nothing 
was to be seen but a dark and angry sea, and a scowling 
northern sky; and at night he retired within the jaws of 
the whale, and nestled disconsolately among seal skins. 

At length, on the 13th of November, the Beaver made 
her appearance ; much the worse for the stormy conflicts 
which she had sustained in those hyperborean seas. She 
had been obliged to carry a press of sail in heavy gales 
to be able to hold her ground, and had consequently sus¬ 
tained great damage in her canvas and rigging. Mr. 
Hunt lost no time in hurrying the residue of the cargo 
on board of her; then, bidding adieu to his seal-fishing 
friends, and his whalebone habitation, he put forth once 
more to sea. 

He was now for making the best of his way to Astoria, 
and fortunate would it have been for the interests of that 
place, and the interests of Mr. Astor, had he done so; 
but, unluckily, a perplexing question rose in his mind. 
The sails and rigging of the Beaver had been much rent 


PERPLEXITY OF MR. BUNT. 


635 


and shattered in the late storm; would she he able to 
stand the hard gales to be expected in making Columbia 
Biver at this season ? Was it prudent, also, at this bois¬ 
terous time of the year to risk the valuable cargo which 
she now had on board, by crossing and re crossing the 
dangerous bar of that river ? These doubts were proba¬ 
bly suggested or enforced by Captain Sowle, who, it has 
already been seen, was an over-cautious, or rather, a 
timid seaman, and they may have had some weight with 
Mr. Hunt; but there were other considerations, which 
more strongly swayed his mind. The lateness of the 
season, and the unforeseen delays the ship had encoun¬ 
tered at New Archangel, and by being obliged to proceed 
to St. Paul’s, had put her so much back in her calculated 
time, that there was a risk of her arriving so late at 
Canton, as to come to a bad market, both for the sale of 
her peltries, and the purchase of a return cargo. He 
considered it to the interest of the company, therefore, 
that he should proceed at once to the Sandwich Islands; 
there wait the arrival of the annual vessel from New 
York, take passage in her to Astoria, and suffer the 
Beaver to continue on to Canton. 

On the other hand, he was urged to the other course 
by his engagements ; by the plan of the voyage marked 
out for the Beaver, by Mr. Astor ; by his inclination, and 
the possibility that the establishment might need his 
presence, and by the recollection that there must already 
be a large amount of peltries collected at Astoria, and 


636 


ASTORIA. 


waiting for tlie return of tlie Beaver, to convey them to 
market. 

These conflicting questions perplexed and agitated his 
mind and gave rise to much anxious reflection, for he was 
a conscientious man that seems ever to have aimed at a 
faithful discharge of his duties, and to have had the in¬ 
terests of his employers earnestly at heart. His decision 
in the present instance was injudicious, and proved um 
fortunate. It was, to bear away for the Sandwich Islands. 
He persuaded himself that it was a matter of necessity, 
and that the distressed condition of the ship left him no 
other alternative; but we rather suspect he was so per¬ 
suaded by the representations of the timid captain. 
They accordingly stood for the Sandwich Islands, arrived 
at Woahoo, where the ship underwent the necessary re¬ 
pairs, and again put to sea on the 1st of January, 1813; 
leaving Mr. Hunt on the island. 

We will follow the Beaver to Canton, as her fortunes, 
in some measure, exemplify the evil of commanders of 
ships acting contrary to orders; and as they form a 
part of the tissue of cross purposes that marred the 
great commercial enterprise we have undertaken to re¬ 
cord. 

The Beaver arrived safe at Canton, where Captain 
Sowle found the letter of Mr. Astor, giving him informa¬ 
tion of the war and directing him to convey the intelli¬ 
gence to Astoria. He wrote a reply, dictated either by 
timidity or obstinacy, in which he declined complying 


INJUDICIOUS DECISION. 


637 


with the orders of Mr. Astor, but said he would wait for 
the return of peace, and then come home. The other 
proceedings of Captain Sowle were equally wrongheaded 
and unlucky. He was offered one hundred and fifty thou¬ 
sand dollars for the fur he had taken on board at Si 
Paul s. The goods for which it had been procured, cost 
but twenty-five thousand dollars in New York. Had he 
accepted this offer, and re-invested the amount in nan¬ 
keens, which at that time, in consequence of the inter¬ 
ruption to commerce by the war, were at two thirds of 
their usual price, the whole would have brought three 
hundred thousand dollars in New York. It is true, the 
war would have rendered it unsafe to attempt the home¬ 
ward voyage, but he might have put the goods in store at 
Canton, until after the peace, and have sailed without 
risk of capture to Astoria; bringing to the partners at 
that place tidings of the great profits realized on the out¬ 
ward cargo, and the still greater to be expected from the 
returns. The news of such a brilliant commencement to 
their undertaking would have counterbalanced the gloomy 
tidings of the war; it would have infused new spirit into 
them all, and given them courage and constancy to per¬ 
severe in the enterprise. Captain Sowle, however, re¬ 
fused the offer of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, 
and stood wavering and chaffering for higher terms. The 
furs began to fall in value ; this only increased his irreso¬ 
lution ; they sunk so much that he feared to sell at all ; 
he borrowed money on Mr. Astor’s account at an interest 


638 


ASTORIA. 


of eighteen per cent., and laid up his ship to await th» 
return of peace. 

In the meanwhile, Mr. Hunt soon saw reason to repent 
the resolution he had adopted in altering the destination 
of the ship. His stay at the Sandwich Islands was pro¬ 
longed far beyond all expectation. He looked in vain for 
the annual ship in the spring. Month after month passed 
by, and still she did not make her appearance. He, too, 
proved the danger of departing from orders. Had he 
returned from St. Paul’s to Astoria, all the anxiety and 
despondency about his fate, and about the whole course of 
the undertaking, would have been obviated. The Beaver 
would have received the furs collected at the factory and 
taken them to Canton, and great gains, instead of great 
losses, would have been the result. The greatest blun¬ 
der, however, was that committed by Captain Sowle. 

At length, about the 20th of June, the ship Albatross, 
Captain Smith, arrived from China, and brought the first 
tidings of the war to the Sandwich Islands. Mr. Hunt 
was no longer in doubt and perplexity as to the reason of 
the non-appearance of the annual ship. His first thoughts 
were for the welfare of Astoria, and, concluding that the 
inhabitants would probably be in want of provisions, he 
chartered the Albatross for two thousand dollars, to land 
him, with some supplies, at the mouth of the Columbia, 
where he arrived, as we have seen, on the 20th of August, 
after a year’s seafaring that might have furnished a chap¬ 
ter in the wanderings of Sindbad. 


CHAPTER LVEDL 


ARRANGEMENTS AMONG THE PARTNERS.—MR. HUNT SAILS IN THE ALBATROSS.— 
ARRIVES AT THE MARQUESAS.—NEWS OF THE FRIGATE PHG2BE.—MR. HUNT 
PROCEEDS TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. — VOYAGE OF THE LARK.—HER 
SHIPWRECK.—TRANSACTIONS WITH THE NATIVES OF THE SANDWICH ISL¬ 
ANDS.—CONDUCT OF TAMA AHMAAH. 

HUNT was overwhelmed with surprise when 
3 learnt the resolution taken by the partners 
• abandon Astoria. He soon found, however, 
that matters had gone too far, and the minds of his col¬ 
leagues had become too firmly bent upon the measure, 
to render any opposition of avail. He was beset, too, 
with the same disparaging accounts of the interior trade, 
and of the whole concerns and prospects of the company 
that had been rendered to Mr. As tor. His own experi¬ 
ence had been full of perplexities and discouragements. 
He had a conscientious anxiety for the interests of Mr. 
Astor, and, not comprehending the extended views of 
that gentleman, and his habit of operating with great 
amounts, he had from the first been daunted by the enor¬ 
mous expenses required, and had become disheartened 
by the subsequent losses sustained, which appeared to 
him to be ruinous in their magnitude. By degrees, there- 

639 










G40 


ASTORIA . 


fore, he was brought to acquiesce in the step taken by 
his colleagues, as perhaps advisable in the exigencies of 
the case; his only care was to wind up the business with 
as little further loss as possible to Mr. Astor. 

A large stock of valuable furs was collected at the fac¬ 
tory, which it was necessary to get to a market. There 
were twenty-five Sandwich Islanders also in the employ 
of the company, whom they were bound, by express 
agreement, to restore to their native country. For these 
purposes a ship was necessary. 

The Albatross was bound to the Marquesas, and 
thence to the Sandwich Islands. It was resolved that 
Mr. Hunt should sail in her in quest of a vessel, and 
should return, if possible, by the 1st of January, bring¬ 
ing with him a supply of provisions. Should anything 
occur, however, to prevent his return, an arrangement 
was to be proposed to Mr. M’Tavish, to transfer such of 
the men as were so disposed, from the service of the 
American Fur Company into that of the Northwest, the 
latter becoming responsible for the wages due them, on 
receiving an equivalent in goods from the store-house of 
the factory. As a means of facilitating the despatch of 
business, Mr. M’Dougal proposed, that in case Mr. Hunt 
should not return, the whole arrangement with Mr. 
M’Tavish should be left solely to him. This was as¬ 
sented to; the contingency being considered possible, 
but not probable. 

It is proper to note, that, on the first announcement by 


NEWS OF THE FRIGATE PHCEBE. 


641 


Mr. M’Dougal of his intention to break up the establish¬ 
ment, three of the clerks, British subjects, had, with his 
consent, passed into the service of the Northwest Com¬ 
pany, and departed with Mr. M’Tavish for his post in the 
interior. 

Having arranged all these matters during a sojourn of 
six days at Astoria, Mr. Hunt set sail in the Albatross on 
the 26th of August, and arrived without accident at the 
Marquesas. He had not been there long, when Porter 
arrived in the frigate Essex, bringing in a number of 
stout London whalers as prizes, having made a sweeping 
cruise in the Pacific. From Commodore Porter he received 
the alarming intelligence that the British frigate Phoebe, 
with a storeship mounted with battering pieces, calcu¬ 
lated to attack forts, had arrived at Bio Janeiro, where 
she had been joined by the sloops of war Cherub and 
Baccoon, and that they had all sailed in company on the 
6th of July for the Pacific, bound, as it was supposed, to 
Columbia Biver. 

Here, then, was the death-warrant of unfortunate As¬ 
toria ! The anxious mind of Mr. Hunt was in greater 
perplexity than ever. He had been eager to extricate the 
property of Mr. Astor from a failing concern with as little 
loss as possible ; there was now danger that the whole 
would be swallowed up. How was it to be snatched from 
the gulf ? It was impossible to charter a ship for the 
purpose, now that a British squadron was on its way to 
the river. He applied to purchase one of the whale 
41 


C42 


ASTORIA. 


ships brought in by Commodore Porter. The commodore 
demanded twenty-five thousand dollars for her. The 
price appeared exorbitant, and no bargain could be made. 
Mr. Hunt then urged the commodore to fit out one of his 
prizes, and send her to Astoria, to bring off the property 
and part of the people, but he declined, “ from want of 
authority.” He assured Mr. Hunt, however, that he 
would endeavor to fall in with the enemy, or should he 
hear of their having certainly gone to the Columbia, he 
would either follow or anticipate them, should his cir¬ 
cumstances warrant such a step. 

In this tantalizing state of suspense, Mr. Hunt was de¬ 
tained at the Marquesas until November 23d, when he 
proceeded in the Albatross to the Sandwich Islands. He 
still cherished a faint hope that, notwithstanding the 
war, and all other discouraging circumstances, the annual 
ship might have been sent by Mr. Astor, and might have 
touched at the islands, and proceeded to the Columbia. 
He knew the pride and interest taken by that gentleman 
in his great enterprise, and that he would not be deterred 
by dangers and difficulties from prosecuting it; much 
less would he leave the infant establishment without 
succor and support in the time of trouble. In this, we 
have seen, he did but justice to Mr. Astor; and we must 
now turn to notice the cause of the non-arrival of the 
vessel which he had despatched with reinforcements and 
supplies. Her voyage forms another chapter of accidents 
in this eventful story. 


WRECK OF THE LARK. 


643 


The Lark sailed from New York on the 6th of March, 
1813, and proceeded prosperously on her voyage, until 
within a few degrees of the Sandwich Islands. Here a 
gale sprang up that soon blew with tremendous violence. 
The Lark was a stanch and noble ship, and for a time 
buffeted bravely with the storm. Unluckily, however, 
she “ broached to,” and was struck by a heavy sea, that 
hove her on her beam-ends. The helm, too, was knocked 
to leeward, all command of the vessel was lost, and 
another mountain wave completely overset her. Orders 
were given to cut away the masts. In the hurry and con¬ 
fusion, the boats also were unfortunately cut adrift. The 
wreck then righted, but was a mere hulk, full of water, 
with a heavy sea washing over it, and all the hatches off. 
On mustering the crew, one man was missing, who was 
discovered below in the forecastle, drowned. 

In cutting away the masts, it had been utterly impossi¬ 
ble to observe the necessary precaution of commencing 
with the lee rigging, that being, from the position of the 
ship, completely under water. The masts and spars, 
therefore, being linked to the wreck by the shrouds and 
the rigging, remained alongside for four days. During 
all this time the ship lay rolling in the trough of the sea, 
the heavy surges breaking over her, and the spars heav¬ 
ing and banging to and fro, bruising the half-drowned 
sailors that clung to the bowsprit and the stumps of the 
masts. The sufferings of these poor fellows were intoler¬ 
able. They stood to their waists in water, in imminent 


644 


ASTORIA. 


peril of being washed off by every surge. In this posi¬ 
tion they dared not sleep, lest they should let go their 
hold and be swept away. The only dry place on the 
wreck was the bowsprit. Here they took turns to be 
tied on, for half an hour at a time, and in this way gained 
short snatches of sleep. 

On the 14th, the first mate died at his post, and was 
swept off by the surges. On the 17th, two seamen, faint 
and exhausted, were washed overboard. The next wave 
threw their bodies back upon the deck, where they re¬ 
mained, swashing backward and forward, ghastly objects 
to the almost perishing survivors. Mr. Ogden, the super¬ 
cargo,. who was at the bowsprit, called to the men nearest 
to the bodies, to fasten them to the wreck ; as a last hor¬ 
rible lesource in case of being driven to extremity by 
famine! 

On the 17th the gale gradually subsided, and the sea 
became calm. The sailors now crawled feebly about the 
wreck, and began to relieve it from the main incum¬ 
brances. The spars were cleared away, the anchors and 
guns heaved overboard; the sprit-sail yard was rigged 
for a jury-mast, and a mizzen topsail set upon it. A sort 
of stage was made of a few broken spars, on which the 
crew were raised above the surface of the water, so as to 
be enabled to keep themselves dry, and to sleep comfort¬ 
ably. Still their sufferings from hunger and thirst were 
great; but there was a Sandwich Islander on board, an 
expert swimmer, who found his way into the cabin, and 


SUFFERINGS OF THE GREW. 


645 


occasionally brought up a few bottles of wine and porter, 
and at length got into the run, and secured a quarter 
cask of wine. A little raw pork was likewise procured, 
and dealt out with a sparing hand. The horrors of their 
situation were increased by the sight of numerous sharks 
prowling about the wreck, as if waiting for their prey. 
On the 24th, the cook, a black man, died, and was cast 
into the sea, when he was instantly seized on by these 
ravenous monsters. 

They had been several days making slow headway 
under their scanty sail, when, on the 25th, they came in 
sight of land. It was about fifteen leagues distant, and 
they remained two or three days drifting along in sight 
of it. On the 28th, they descried, to their great trans¬ 
port, a canoe approaching, managed by natives. They 
came alongside, and brought a most welcome supply of 
potatoes. They informed them that the land they had 
made was one of the Sandwich Islands. The second 
mate and one of the seamen went on shore in the canoe 
for water and provisions, and to procure aid from the 
islanders, in towing the wreck into a harbor. 

Neither of the men returned, nor was any assistance 
sent from shore. The next day, ten or twelve canoes 
came alongside, but roamed round the wreck like so 
many sharks, and would render no aid in towing her to 
land. 

The sea continued to break over the vessel with such 
violence, that it was impossible to stand at the helm 


646 


ASTORIA . 


without the assistance of lashings. The crew were now 
so worn down bj famine and thirst, that the captain saw 
it would be impossible for them to withstand the break¬ 
ing of the sea, when the ship should ground ; he deemed 
the only chance for their lives, therefore, was to get to 
land in the canoes, and stand ready to receive and pro¬ 
tect the wreck when she should drift to shore. Accord¬ 
ingly, they all got safe to land, but had scarcely touched 
the beach when they were surrounded by the natives, 
who stripped them almost naked. The name of this in¬ 
hospitable island was Tahoorowa. 

In the course of the night, the wreck came drifting to 
the strand, with the surf thundering around her, and 
shortly afterwards bilged. On the following morning, 
numerous casks of provisions floated on shore. The na¬ 
tives staved them for the sake of the iron hoops, but 
would not allow the crew to help themselves to the con¬ 
tents, or to go on board of the wreck. 

As the crew were in want of everything, and as it 
might be a long time before any opportunity occurred for 
them to get away from these islands, Mr. Ogden, as soon 
as he could get a chance, made his way to the island of 
Owyhee, and endeavored to make some arrangement with 
the king for the relief of his companions in misfortune. 

The illustrious Tamaahmaah, as we have shown on a 
former occasion, was a shrewd bargainer, and in the 
present instance proved himself an experienced wrecker. 
His negotiations with M’Dougal, and the other “Eris of 


BARGAIN WITH TAMAAHMAAH. 


647 


the great American Fur Company,” had but little effect 
on present circumstances, and he proceeded to avail him¬ 
self of their misfortunes. He agreed to furnish the crew 
with provisions during their stay in his territories, and 
to return to them all their clothing that could be found, 
but he stipulated that the wreck should be abandoned to 
him as a waif cast by fortune on his shores. With these 
conditions Mr. Ogden was fain to comply. Upon this 
the great Tamaahmaah deputed his favorite, John Young, 
the tarpaulin governor of Owyhee, to proceed with a 
number of the royal guards, and take possession of the 
wreck on behalf of the crown. This was done accord¬ 
ingly, and the property and crew were removed to Owy¬ 
hee. The royal bounty appears to have been but scanty 
in its dispensations. The crew fared but meagrely; 
though, on reading the journal of the voyage, it is singu¬ 
lar to find them, after all the hardships they had suffered, 
so sensitive about petty inconveniences, as to exclaim 
against the king as a “savage monster,” for refusing 
them a “pot to cook in,” and denying Mr. Ogden the 
use of a knife and fork which had been saved from the 
wreck. 

Such was the unfortunate catastrophe of the Lark ; had 
she reached her destination in safety, affairs at Astoria 
might have taken a different course. A strange fatality 
seems to have attended all the expeditions by sea, nor 
were those by land much less disastrous. 

Captain Northrop was still at the Sandwich Islands, on 


648 


ASTORIA. 


December 20th, when Mr. Hunt arrived. The latter im¬ 
mediately purchased, for ten thousand dollars, a brig 
called the Pedler, and put Captain Northrop in command 
of her. They set sail for Astoria on the 22d January, 
intending to remove the property from thence as speedily 
as possible to the Russian settlements on the northwest 
coast, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the 
British. Such were the orders of Mr. Astor, sent out by 
the Lark. 

We will now leave Mr. Hunt on his voyage, and return 
to see what has taken place at Astoria during his ab¬ 
sence. 


CHAPTER LIX. 


ARRIVAL OP M’TAVISH AT ASTORIA.—CONDUCT OF HIS FOLLOWERS.—NEGO¬ 
TIATIONS OF M’DOUGAL AND M’TAVISH.—BARGAIN FOR THE TRANSFER OF 
ASTORIA.—DOUBTS ENTERTAINED OF THE LOYALTY OF M’DOUGAL. 



|N the 2d of October, about five weeks after Mr. 
Hunt had sailed in the Albatross from Astoria, 
Mr. M’Kenzie set off with two canoes, and 
twelve men, for the posts of Messrs. Stuart and Clarke, 
to apprise them of the new arrangements determined 
upon in the recent conference of the partners at the fac¬ 
tory. 

He had not ascended the river a hundred miles, when 
he met a squadron of ten canoes, sweeping merrily down 
under British colors, the Canadian oarsmen, as usual, in 
full song. 

It was an armament fitted out by M’Tavish, who had 
with him Mr. J. Stuart, another partner of the Northwest 
Company, together with some clerks, and sixty-eight men 
—seventy-five souls in all. They had heard of the frigate 
Phoebe and the Isaac Todd being on the high seas, and 
were on their way down to await their arrival. In one of 

the canoes Mr. Clarke came passenger, the alarming in- 

649 





650 


ASTORIA. 


telligence having brought him down from his post on the 
Spokan. Mr. M’Kenzie immediately determined to re¬ 
turn with him to Astoria, and, veering about, the two 
parties encamped together for the night. The leaders, of 
course, observed a due decorum, but some of the subal¬ 
terns could not restrain their chuckling exultation, boast¬ 
ing that they would soon plant the British standard on 
the walls of Astoria, and drive the Americans out of the 
country. 

In the course of the evening, Mr. M’Kenzie had a se¬ 
cret conference with Mr. Clarke, in which they agreed to 
set off privately, before daylight, and get down in time 
to apprise M’Dougal of the approach of these North¬ 
westers. The latter, however, were completely on the 
alert; just as M’Kenzie’s canoes were about to push off, 
they were joined by a couple from the Northwest squad¬ 
ron, in which was M’Tavish, with two clerks, and eleven 
men. With these, he intended to push forward and make 
arrangements, leaving the rest of the convoy, in which 
was a large quantity of furs, to await his orders. 

The two parties arrived at Astoria on the 7th of Octo¬ 
ber. The Northwesters encamped under the guns of the 
fort, and displayed the British colors. The young men 
in the fort, natives of the United States, were on the point 
of hoisting the American flag, but were forbidden by Mr. 
M’Dougal. They were astonished at such a prohibition, 
and were exceedingly galled by the tone and manner as¬ 
sumed by the clerks and retainers of the Northwest Com- 


COURSE OF MR. M'DOUGAL. 


651 


pany, who ruffled about in that swelling and braggart 
style which grows up among these heroes of the wilder¬ 
ness ; they, in fact, considered themselves lords of the 
ascendant and regarded the hampered and harassed 
Astorians as a conquered people. 

On the following day M’Dougal convened the clerks, 
and read to them an extract of a letter from his uncle, 
Mr. Angus Shaw, one of the principal partners of the 
Northwest Company, announcing the coming of the 
Phoebe and Isaac Todd, “ to take and destroy everything 
American on the northwest coast.” 

This intelligence was received without dismay by such 
of the clerks as were natives of the United States. They 
had felt indignant at seeing their national flag struck by 
a Canadian commander, and the British flag flowed, as it 
were, in their faces. They had been stung to the quick, 
also, by the vaunting airs assumed by the Northwesters. 
In this mood of mind, they would willingly have nailed 
their colors to the staff, and defied the frigate. She 
could not come within many miles of the fort, they ob¬ 
served, and any boats she might send could be destroyed 
by their cannon. 

There were cooler and more calculating spirits, how¬ 
ever, who had the control of affairs, and felt nothing of 
the patriotic pride and indignation of these youths. The 
extract of the letter had, apparently, been read by 
M’Dougal, merely to prepare the way for a preconcerted 
stroke of management. On the same day Mr. M’Tavish 


652 


ASTORIA. 


proposed to purchase the whole stock of goods and furs 
belonging to the company, both at Astoria and in the in¬ 
terior, at cost and charges. Mr. M’Dougal undertook to 
comply; assuming the whole management of the negotia¬ 
tion in virtue of the power vested in him, in case of the 
non-arrival of Mr. Hunt. That power, however, was lim¬ 
ited and specific, and did not extend to an operation of 
this nature and extent; no objection, however, was made 
to his assumption, and he and M’Tavish soon made a pre¬ 
liminary arrangement, perfectly satisfactory to the latter. 

Mr. Stuart, and the reserve party of Northwesters, ar¬ 
rived shortly afterwards, and encamped with M’Tavish. 
The former exclaimed loudly against the terms of the ar¬ 
rangement, and insisted upon a reduction of the prices. 
New negotiations had now to be entered into. The de¬ 
mands of the Northwesters were made in a peremptory 
tone, and they seemed disposed to dictate like conquer¬ 
ors. The Americans looked on with indignation and im¬ 
patience. They considered M’Dougal as acting, if not a 
perfidious, certainly a craven part. He was continually 
repairing to the camp to negotiate, instead of keeping 
within his walls and receiving overtures in his fortress. 
His case, they observed, was not so desperate as to ex¬ 
cuse such crouching. He might, in fact, hold out for his 
own terms. The Northwest party had lost their ammu¬ 
nition ; they had no goods to trade with the natives for 
provisions; and they were so destitute that M’Dougal 
had absolutely to feed them, while he negotiated with 


BARGAIN WITH THE NORTHWESTERS . 653 

them. He, on the contrary, was well lodged and vic¬ 
tualled; had sixty men, with arms, ammunition, boats, 
and everything requisite either for defense or retreat. 
The party, beneath the guns of his fort, were at his 
mercy; should an enemy appear in the offing, he could 
pack up the most valuable part of the property and retire 
to some place of concealment, or make off for the in¬ 
terior. 

These considerations, however, had no weight with Mr. 
M’Dougal, or were overruled by other motives. The 
terms of sale were lowered by him to the standard fixed 
by Mr. Stuart, and an agreement executed on the 16th of 
October, by which the furs and merchandise of all kinds 
in the country, belonging to Mr. Astor, passed into the 
possession of the Northwest Company at about a third 
of their value.* A safe passage through the Northwest 
posts was guaranteed to such as did not choose to enter 
into the service of that Company, and the amount of 
wages due to them was to be deducted from the price 
paid for Astoria. 

The conduct and motives of Mr. M’Dougal, throughout 
the whole of this proceeding, have been strongly ques¬ 
tioned by the other partners. He has been accused of 
availing himself of a wrong construction of powers vested 

* Not quite $40,000 were allowed for furs worth upwards of $100,000. 
Beaver was valued at two dollars per skin, though worth five dollars. 
Land otter at fifty cents, though worth five dollars. Sea-otter at twelve 
dollars, worth from forty-five to sixty dollars; and for several kinds of 
furs nothing was allowed. Moreover, the goods and merchandise for the 


654 


ASTORIA. 


in him at his own request, and of sacrificing the interests 
of Mr. Astor to the Northwest Company, under the prom¬ 
ise or hope of advantage to himself. 

He always insisted, however, that he made the best 
bargain for Mr. Astor that circumstances would permit; 
the frigate being hourly expected, in which case the 
whole property of that gentleman would be liable to cap¬ 
ture. That the return of Mr. Hunt was problematical; 
the frigate intending to cruise along the coast for two 
years, and clear it of all American vessels. He moreover 
averred, and M’Tavish corroborated his averment by cer¬ 
tificate, that he proposed an arrangement to that gentle¬ 
man, by which the furs were to be sent to Canton, and 
sold there at Mr. Astor’s risk, and for his account; but 
the proposition was not acceded to. 


Indian trade ought to have brought three times the amount for which 
they were sold. 

The following estimate has been made of the articles on hand, and the 
prices:— 


17,705 lbs. beaver parchment, valued at $2 00 

worth. 

465 old coat beaver. 

.... “ “ 1 66 

ii 

907 land otter. 

.... “ “ 50 

it 

68 sea-otter. 

.... “ “ 12 00 

it 

30 “ “ . 

.... “ “ 5 00 

it 


.$5 00 

.3 50 

. 5 00 

.45 to 60 00 
.25 00 


Nothing was allowed for 

179 mink skins, worth each. 40 

22 raccoon, “ “ . 40 

28 lynx, “ “ 2 00 

18 fox, “ « 1 00 

106 “ “ “ .1 50 

71 black bear, “ “ 4 06 

16 grizzly bear “ “ 10 00 


















OPINION OF MU. ASTOU. 


655 


Notwithstanding all his representations, several of the 
persons present at the transaction, and acquainted with 
the whole course of the affair, and among the number 
Mr. M’Kenzie himself, his occasional coadjutor, remained 
firm in the belief that he had acted a hollow part. 
Neither did he succeed in exculpating himself to Mr. As- 
tor; that gentleman declaring, in a letter written some 
time afterwards, to Mr. Hunt, that he considered the 
property virtually given away. “ Had our place and our 
property,” he adds, “ been fairly captured, I should have 
preferred it; I should not feel as if I were disgraced.” 

All these may be unmerited suspicions; but it cer¬ 
tainly is a circumstance strongly corroborative of them, 
that Mr. M’Dougal, shortly after concluding this agree¬ 
ment, became a member of the Northwest Company, and 
received a share productive of a handsome income. 


CHAPTER LX. 


ARRIVAL OP A STRANGE SAIL.—AGITATION AT ASTORIA.—WARLIKE OFFER O# 
COMCOMLY.—ASTORIA TAKEN POSSESSION OF BY THE BRITISH.—INDIGNA¬ 
TION OF COMCOMLY AT THE CONDUCT OF HIS SON-IN-LAW. 


^JN the morning of the 30th of November, a sail 
was descried doubling Cape Disappointment. 
It came to anchor in Baker’s Bay, and proved 
to be a ship of war. Of what nation ? was now the anx¬ 
ious inquiry. If English, why did it come alone ? where 
was the merchant vessel that was to have accompanied 
it ? If American, what was to become of the newly ac¬ 
quired possession of the Northwest Company? 

In this dilemma, M’Tavish, in all haste, loaded two 
barges with all the packages of furs bearing the mark of 
the Northwest Company, and made off for Tongue Point, 
three miles up the river. There he was to await a pre¬ 
concerted signal from M’Dougal, on ascertaining the 
character of the ship. If it should prove American, 
M’Tavish would have a fair start, and could bear off his 
rich cargo to the interior. It is singular that this prompt 
mode of conveying valuable, but easily transportable ef¬ 
fects beyond the reach of a hostile ship should not have 

656 






THE RACCOON SLOOP OF WAR. 


657 

suggested itself while the property belonged to Mr. 
Astor. 

In the meantime, M’Dougal, who still remained nomi¬ 
nal chief at the fort, launched a canoe, manned by men 
Recently in the employ of the American Eur Company, 
and steered for the ship. On the way, he instructed his 
men to pass themselves for Americans or Englishmen, 
according to the exigencies of the case. 

The vessel proved to be the British sloop of war Rac- 
coon, of twenty-six guns, and one hundred and twenty 
men, commanded by Captain Black. According to the 
account of that officer, the frigate Phoebe, and the two 
sloops of war Cherub and Raccoon, had sailed in convoy 
of the Isaac Todd from Rio Janeiro. On board of the 
Phoebe, Mr. John M’Donald, a partner of the Northwest 
Company, embarked as passenger, to profit by the anti¬ 
cipated catastrophe at Astoria. The convoy was sep¬ 
arated by stress of weather off Cape Horn. The three 
ships of war came together again at the island of Juan 
Fernandez, their appointed rendezvous, but waited in 
vain for the Isaac Todd. 

In the meantime, intelligence was received of the mis¬ 
chief that Commodore Porter was doing among the Brit¬ 
ish whale ships. Commodore Hillyer immediately set 
sail in quest of him, with the Phoebe and the Cherub, 
transferring Mr. M’Donald to the Raccoon, and ordering 
that vessel to proceed to the Columbia. 

The officers of the Raccoon were in high spirits. The 
42 


658 


ASTORIA. 


agents of the Northwest Company, in instigating the ex¬ 
pedition, had talked of immense booty to be made by the 
fortunate captors of Astoria. Mr. M’Donald had kept 
up the excitement during the voyage, so that not a mid¬ 
shipman but revelled in dreams of ample prize-money, 
nor a lieutenant that would have sold his chance for a 
thousand pounds. Their disappointment, therefore, may 
easily be conceived, when they learned that their warlike 
attack upon Astoria had been forestalled by a snug com¬ 
mercial arrangement; that their anticipated booty had 
become British property in the regular course of traffic, 
and that all this had been effected by the very Company 
which had been instrumental in getting them sent on 
what they now stigmatized as a fool’s errand. They felt 
as if they had been duped and made tools of, by a set of 
shrewd men of traffic, who had employed them to crack 
the nut, while they carried off the kernel. In a word, 
M’Dougal found himself so ungraciously received by his 
countrymen on board of the ship, that he was glad to cut 
short his visit, and return to shore. He was busy at the 
fort, making preparations for the reception of the captain 
of the Raccoon, when his one-eyed Indian father-in-law 
made his appearance, with a train of Chinook warriors, 
all painted and equipped in warlike style. 

Old Comcomly had beheld, with dismay, the arrival of 
a “big war canoe” displaying the British flag. The 
shrewd old savage had become something of a politician 
in the course of his daily visits at the fort. He knew of 


WAR SPIRIT OF COMCOMLY. 


659 


the war existing between the nations, but knew nothing 
of the arrangement between M’Dougal and M’Tavish. 
He trembled, therefore, for the power of his white son- 
in-law, and the new-fledged grandeur of his daughter, 
and assembled his warriors in all haste. “ King George,” 
said he, “ has sent his great canoe to destroy the fort, 
and make slaves of all the inhabitants. Shall we suffer 
it ? The Americans are the first white men that have 
fixed themselves in the land. They have treated us like 
brothers. Their great chief has taken my daughter to 
be his squaw: we are, therefore, as one people.” 

His warriors all determined to stand by the Americans 
to the last, and to this effect they came painted and armed 
for battle. Comcomly made a spirited war-speech to his 
son-in-law. He offered to kill every one of King George’s 
men that should attempt to land. It was an easy matter. 
The ship could not approach within six miles of the fort; 
the crew could only land in boats. The woods reached 
to the water’s edge; in these, he and his warriors would 
conceal themselves, and shoot down the enemy as fast as 
they put foot on shore. 

M’Dougal was, doubtless, properly sensible of this 
parental devotion on the part of his savage father-in-law, 
and perhaps a little rebuked by the game spirit, so oppo¬ 
site to his own. He assured Comcomly, however, that 
his solicitude for the safety of himself and the princess 
was superfluous; as, though the ship belonged to King 
George, her crew would not injure the Americans, or 


660 


ASTORIA. 


their Indian allies. He advised him and his warriors, 
therefore, to lay aside their weapons and war shirts, wash 
off the paint from their faces and bodies, and appear like 
clean and civil savages, to receive the strangers cour¬ 
teously. 

Comcomly was sorely puzzled at this advice, which ac¬ 
corded so little with his Indian notions of receiving a 
hostile nation, and it was only after repeated and positive 
assurances of the amicable intentions of the strangers 
that he was induced to lower his fighting tone. He said 
something to his warriors explanatory of this singular 
posture of affairs, and in vindication, perhaps, of the 
pacific temper of his son-in-law. They all gave a shrug 
and an Indian grunt of acquiescence, and went off sulkily 
to their village, to lay aside their weapons for the present. 

The proper arrangements being made for the reception 
of Captain Black, that officer caused his ship’s boats to 
be manned, and landed with befitting state at Astoria. 
From the talk that had been made by the Northwest 
Company of the strength of the place, and the armament 
they had required to assist in its reduction, he expected 
to find a fortress of some importance. When he beheld 
nothing but stockades and bastions, calculated for de¬ 
fense against naked savages, he felt an emotion of indig¬ 
nant surprise, mingled with something of the ludicrous. 
“Is this the fort,” cried he, “ about which I have heard 
so much talking ? D—n me, but I’d batter it down in 
two hours with a four pounder! ” 


ASTORIA CHANGES MASTERS. 


661 


When he learned, howeyer, the amount of rich furs that 
had been passed into the hands of the Northwesters, he 
was outrageous, and insisted that an inventory should 
be taken of all the property purchased of the Ameri¬ 
cans, “with a view to ulterior measures in England, 
lor the recovery of the value from the Northwest Com¬ 
pany.” 

As he grew cool, however, he gave over all idea of pre¬ 
ferring such a claim, and reconciled himself, as well as he 
could, to the idea of having been forestalled by his bar¬ 
gaining coadjutors. 

On the 12th of December, the fate of Astoria was con¬ 
summated by a regular ceremonial. Captain Black, at¬ 
tended by his officers, entered the fort, caused the Brit¬ 
ish standard to be erected, broke a bottle of wine, and 
declared, in a loud voice, that he took possession of the 
establishment and of the country, in the name of his 
Britannic Majesty, changing the name of Astoria to that 
of Fort George. 

The Indian warriors, who had offered their services to 
repel the strangers, were present on this occasion. It 
was explained to them as being a friendly arrangement 
and transfer, but they shook their heads grimly, and con¬ 
sidered it an act of subjugation of their ancient allies. 
They regretted that they had complied with M’Dougal’s 
wishes, in laying aside their arms, and remarked, that, 
however the Americans might conceal the fact, they were 
undoubtedly all slaves; nor could they be persuaded of 


662 


ASTORIA . 


the contrary, until they beheld the Raccoon depart with¬ 
out taking away any prisoners. 

As to Comcomly, he no longer prided himself upon his 
white son-in-law, but, whenever he was asked about him, 
shook his head, and replied, that his daughter had made 
a mistake, and, instead of getting a great warrior for a 
husband, had married herself to a squaw. 


CHAPTER LX1 


ARRIVAL OF THE BRIG PEDLER AT ASTORIA.—BREAKING DP OF THE ESTABLISH- 
MENT.—DEPARTURE OF SEVERAL OF THE COMPANY.—TRAGICAL STORY TOLD 
BY THE SQUAW OF PIERRE DORION.—FATE OF REED AND HIS COMPAN¬ 
IONS.—ATTEMPTS OF MR. ASTOR TO RENEW HIS ENTERPRISE.—DISAPPOINT¬ 
MENT.—CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS AND REFLECTIONS. 


■ AVING given the catastrophe at the Fort of As¬ 
toria, it remains now but to gather up a few 
loose ends of this widely excursive narrative 
and conclude. On the 28th of February the brig Pedler 
anchored in Columbia River. It will be recollected that 
Mr. Hunt had purchased this vessel at the Sandwich 
Islands, to take off the furs collected at the factory, and 
to restore the Sandwich Islanders to their homes. When 
that gentleman learned, however, the precipitate and 
summary manner in which the property had been bar¬ 
gained away by M’Dougal, he expressed his indigna¬ 
tion in the strongest terms, and determined to make an 
effort to get back the furs. As soon as his wishes were 
known in this respect, M’Dougal came to sound him on 
behalf of the Northwest Company, intimating that he 
had no doubt the peltries might be repurchased at an 
advance of fifty per cent. This overture was not calcu- 

663 










664 


ASTORIA, 


latecl to soothe the angry feelings of Mr. Hunt, and his 
indignation was complete, when he discovered that 
M’Dougal had become a partner of the Northwest Com¬ 
pany, and had actually been so since the 23d of Decem¬ 
ber. He had kept his partnership a secret, however; had 
retained the papers of the Pacific Fur Company in his 
possession; and had continued to act as Mr. Astor’s agent, 
though two of the partners of the other company, Mr. 
M’Kenzie and Mr. Clarke, were present. He had, more¬ 
over, divulged to his new associates all that he knew as 
to Mr. Astor’s plans and affairs, and had made copies of 
his business letters for their perusaL 

Mr. Hunt now considered the whole conduct of M’Dou¬ 
gal hollow and collusive. His only thought was, there¬ 
fore, to get all the papers of the concern out of his 
hands, and bring the business to a close; for the inter¬ 
ests of Mr. Astor were yet completely at stake; the 
drafts of the Northwest Company in his favor, for the 
purchase money, not having yet been obtained. With 
some difficulty he succeeded in getting possession of the 
papers. The bills or drafts were delivered without hesi¬ 
tation. The latter he remitted to Mr. Astor by some of 
his associates, who were about to cross the continent to 
New York. This done, he embarked on board the Pedler, 
on the 3d of April, accompanied by two of the clerks, Mr. 
Seton and Mr. Halsey, and bade a final adieu to Astoria. 

The next day, April 4th, Messrs. Clarke, M’Kenzie, 
David Stuart, and such of the Astorians as had not en- 


JOHN REED'S PARTY. 


665 


tered into the service of the Northwest Company, set out 
to cross the Rocky Mountains. It is not our intention to 
take the reader another journey across those rugged bar¬ 
riers ; but we will step forward with the travellers to a 
distance on their way, merely to relate their interview 
with a character already noted in this work. 

As the party were proceeding up the Columbia, near 
the mouth of the Wallah-Wallah River, several Indian 
canoes put off from the shore to overtake them, and a 
Voice called upon them in French and requested them to 
stop. They accordingly put to shore, and were joined by 
those in the canoes. To their surprise, they recognized 
in the person who had hailed them the Indian wife of 
Pierre Dorion, accompanied by her two children. She 
had a story to tell, involving the fate of several of our 
unfortunate adventurers. 

Mr. John Reed, the Hibernian, it will be remembered, 
had been detached during the summer to the Snake 
River. His party consisted of four Canadians, Giles Le 
Clerc, Francis Landry, Jean Baptiste Turcot, and Andre 
La Chapelle, together with two hunters, Pierre Dorion 
and Pierre Delaunay; Dorion, as usual, being accom¬ 
panied by his wife and children. The objects of this 
expedition were twofold ; to trap beaver, and to search 
for the three hunters, Robinson, Hoback, and Rezner. 

In the course of the autumn, Reed lost one man, 
Landry, by death; another one, Pierre Delaunay, who 
was of a sullen, perverse disposition, left him in a moody 


666 


ASTORIA. 


fit, and was never heard of afterwards. The number of 
his party was not, however, reduced by these losses, as 
the three hunters, Eobinson, Hoback, and Eezner, had 
joined it. 

Eeed now built a house on the Snake Eiver, for their 
winter quarters; which being completed, the party set 
about trapping. Eezner, Le Clerc, and Pierre Dorion, 
went about five days’ journey from the wintering house, 
to a part of the country well stocked with beaver. Here 
they put up a hut, and proceeded to trap with great suc¬ 
cess. While the men were out hunting, Pierre Dorion’s 
wife remained at home to dress the skins and prepare 
the meals. She was thus employed one evening about 
the beginning of January, cooking the supper of the 
hunters, when she heard footsteps, and Le Clerc stag¬ 
gered, pale and bleeding, into the hut. He informed her 
that a party of savages had surprised them, while at 
their traps, and had killed Eezner and her husband. He 
had barely strength left to give this information, when 
he sank upon the ground. 

The poor woman saw that the only chance for life was 
instant flight, but, in this exigency, showed that presence 
of mind and force of character for which she had fre¬ 
quently been noted. With great difficulty, she caught 
two of the horses belonging to the party. Then collect¬ 
ing her clothes and a small quantity of beaver meat and 
dried salmon, she packed them upon one of the horses, 
and helped the wounded man to mount upon it. On the 


A SQUAW’S HEROIC CONDUCT. 667 

other horse she mounted with her two children, and 
hurried away from this dangerous neighborhood, direct¬ 
ing her flight to Mr. Reed’s establishment. On the third 
day, she descried a number of Indians on horseback pro¬ 
ceeding in an easterly direction. She immediately dis¬ 
mounted with her children, and helped Le Clerc likewise 
to dismount, and all concealed themselves. Fortunately 
they escaped the sharp eyes of the savages, but had to 
proceed with the utmost caution. That night they slept 
without fire or water; she managed to keep her children 
warm in her arms; but before morning, poor Le Clerc 
died. 

With the dawn of day the resolute woman resumed her 
course, and, on the fourth day, reached the house of Mr. 
Reed. It was deserted, and all round were marks of 
blood and signs of a furious massacre. Not doubting 
that Mr. Reed and his party had all fallen victims, she 
turned in fresh horror from the spot. For two days she 
continued hurrying forward, ready to sink for want of 
food, but more solicitous about her children than herself. 
At length she reached a range of the Rocky Mountains, 
near the upper part of the Wallah-Wallah River. Here 
she chose a wild lonely ravine, as her place of winter 
refuge. 

She had fortunately a buffalo robe and three deer¬ 
skins ; of these, and of pine bark and cedar branches, she 
constructed a rude wigwam, which she pitched beside a 
mountain spring. Having no other food, she killed the 


668 


ASTORIA. 


two horses, and smoked their flesh. The skins aided tc 
cover her hut. Here she dragged out the winter, with no 
other company than her two children. Towards the 
middle of March her provisions were nearly exhausted. 
She therefore packed up the remainder, slung it on her 
back, and, with her helpless little ones, set out again on 
her wanderings. Crossing the ridge of mountains, she 
descended to the banks of the Wallah-Wallah, and kept 
along them until she arrived where that river throws it¬ 
self into the Columbia. She was hospitably received and 
entertained by the Wallah-Wallahs, and had been nearly 
two weeks among them when the two canoes passed. 

On being interrogated, she could assign no reason for 
this murderous attack of the savages ; it appeared to be 
perfectly wanton and unprovoked. Some of the Asto- 
rians supposed it an act of butchery by a roving band of 
Blackfeet; others, however, and with greater probability 
of correctness, have ascribed it to the tribe of Pierced- 
nose Indians, in revenge for the death of their comrade 
hanged by order of Mr. Clarke. If so, it shows that 
these sudden and apparently wanton outbreakings of 
sanguinary violence on the part of the savages, have often 
some previous, though perhaps remote, provocation. 

The narrative of the Indian woman closes the check¬ 
ered adventures of some of the personages of this motley 
story; such as the honest Hibernian Reed, and Dorion 
the hybrid interpreter. Turcot and La Chapelle were 
two of the men who fell off from Mr. Crooks in the 


EFFECT UPON MB. ASTOB. 


669 


course of his wintry journey, and had subsequently such 
disastrous times among the Indians. We cannot but feel 
some sympathy with that persevering trio of Kentuck¬ 
ians, Bobinson, Kezner, and Hoback; who twice turned 
back when on their way homeward, and lingered in the 
wilderness to perish by the hands of savages. 

The return parties from Astoria, both by sea and land, 
experienced on the way as many adventures, vicissitudes, 
and mishaps, as the far-famed heroes of the Odyssey; 
they reached their destination at different times, bearing 
tidings to Mr. Astor of the unfortunate termination of his 
enterprise. 

That gentleman, however, was not disposed, even yet, 
to give the matter up as lost. On the contrary, his spirit 
was roused by what he considered ungenerous and un¬ 
merited conduct on the part of the Northwest Company. 
“ After their treatment of me,” said he, in a letter to Mr. 
Hunt, “ I have no idea of remaining quiet and idle.” He 
determined, therefore, as soon as circumstances would 
permit, to resume his enterprise. 

At the return of peace, Astoria, with the adjacent 
country, reverted to the United States by the treaty of 
Ghent, on the principle of statics ante beUum, and Captain 
Biddle was despatched in the sloop of war Ontario, to 
take formal possession. 

In the winter of 1815, a law was passed by Congress 
prohibiting all traffic of British traders within the terri¬ 
tories of the United States. 


670 


ASTORIA. 


The favorable moment seemed now to Mr, Astor to 
have arrived for the revival of his favorite enterprise, but 
new difficulties had grown up to impede it. The North¬ 
west Company were now in complete occupation of the 
Columbia River, and its chief tributary streams, holding 
the posts which he had established, and carrying on a 
trade throughout the neighboring region, in defiance of 
the prohibitory law of Congress, which, in effect, was a 
dead letter beyond the mountains. 

To dispossess them, would be an undertaking of almost 
a belligerent nature ; for their agents and retainers were 
well armed, and skilled in the use of weapons, as is usual 
with Indian traders. The ferocious and bloody contests 
which had taken place between the rival trading parties 
of the Northwest and Hudson’s Bay Companies, had 
shown what might be expected from commercial feuds in 
the lawless depths of the wilderness. Mr. Astor did not 
think it advisable, therefore, to attempt the matter with¬ 
out the protection of the American flag; under which his 
people might rally in case of need. He accordingly made 
an informal overture to the President of the United 
States, Mr. Madison, through Mr. Gallatin, offering to re¬ 
new his enterprise, and to reestablish Astoria, provided 
it would be protected by the American flag, and made a 
military post; stating that the whole force required 
would not exceed a lieutenant’s command. 

The application, approved and recommended by Mr. 
Gallatin, one of the most enlightened statesmen of our 


COMPLICATIONS AND DIFFICULTIES. 


671 


country, was favorably received, but no step was taken 
in consequence ; the President not being disposed, in all 
probability, to commit himself by any direct countenance 
or overt act. Discouraged by this supineness on the 
part of the government, Mr. Astor did not think fit to re¬ 
new his overtures in a more formal manner, and the fa¬ 
vorable moment for the re-occupation of Astoria was 
suffered to pass unimproved. 

The British trading establishments were thus enabled, 
without molestation, to strike deep their roots, and ex¬ 
tend their ramifications, in despite of the prohibition of 
Congress, until they had spread themselves over the rich 
field of enterprise opened by Mr. Astor. The British 
government soon began to perceive the importance of 
this region, and to desire to include it within their terri¬ 
torial domains. A question has consequently risen as to 
the right to the soil, and has become one of the most per¬ 
plexing now open between the United States and Great 
Britain. In the first treaty relative to it, under date of 
October 20th, 1818, the question was left unsettled, and 
it was agreed that the country on the northwest coast of 
America, westward of the Rocky Mountains, claimed by 
either nation, should be open to the inhabitants of both 
for ten years, for the purposes of trade, with the equal 
right of navigating all its rivers. When these ten years 
had expired, a subsequent treaty, in 1828, extended the 
arrangement to ten additional years. So the matter 
stands at present. 


672 


ASTORIA . 


On casting back our eyes oyer the series of events we 
have recorded, we see no reason to attribute the failure 
of this great commercial undertaking to any fault in the 
scheme, or omission in the execution of it, on the part of 
the projector. It was a magnificent enterprise ; well con¬ 
certed and carried on, without regard to difficulties o 1 
expense. A succession of adverse circumstances and 
cross purposes, however, beset it almost from the outset; 
some of them, in fact, arising from neglect of the orders 
and instructions of Mr. Astor. The first crippling blow 
was the loss of the Tonquin, which clearly would not 
have happened, had Mr. Astor’s earnest injunctions with 
regard to the natives been attended to. Had this ship 
performed her voyage prosperously, and revisited Astoria 
in due time, the trade of the establishment would have 
taken its preconcerted course, and the spirits of all con¬ 
cerned been kept up by a confident prospect of success. 
Her dismal catastrophe struck a chill into every heart, 
and prepared the way for subsequent despondency. 

Another cause of embarrassment and loss was the de¬ 
parture from the plan of Mr. Astor, as to the voyage of 
the Beaver, subsequent to her visiting Astoria. The 
variation from this plan produced a series of cross pur^ 
poses, disastrous to the establishment, and detained Mr. 
Hunt absent from his post, when his presence there was 
of vital importance to the enterprise; so essential is it 
for an agent, in any great and complicated undertaking, 
to execute faithfully, and to the letter, the part marked 


CA USES OF NON-SUCCESS. 


673 


out for him by the master mind which has concerted the 
whole. 

The breaking out of the war between the United States 
and Great Britain, multiplied the hazards and embarrass¬ 
ments of the enterprise. The disappointment as to con¬ 
voy, rendered it difficult to keep up reinforcements and 
supplies; and the loss of the Lark added to the tissue of 
misadventures. 

That Mr. Astor battled resolutely against every diffi¬ 
culty, and pursued his course in defiance of every loss, 
has been sufficiently shown. Had he been seconded by 
suitable agents, and properly protected by government, 
the ultimate failure of his plan might yet have been 
averted. It was his great misfortune, that his agents 
were not imbued with his own spirit. Some had not 
capacity sufficient to comprehend the real nature and 
extent of his scheme ; others were alien in feeling and 
interest, and had been brought up in the service of a 
rival company. Whatever sympathies they might origi¬ 
nally have had with him, were impaired, if not destroyed, 
by the war. They looked upon his cause as desperate, 
and only considered how they might make interest to 
regain a situation under their former employers. The 
absence of Mr. Hunt, the only real representative of Mr. 
Astor, at the time of the capitulation with the North¬ 
west Company, completed the series of cross purposes. 
Had that gentleman been present, the transfer, in all 
probability, would not have taken place. 

43 


674 


ASTORIA. 


It is painful at all times, to see a grand and beneficial 
stroke of genius fail of its aim : but we regret the failure 
of this enterprise in a national point of view; for, had it 
been crowned with success, it would have redounded 
greatly to the advantage and extension of our commerce. 
The profits drawn from the country in question by the 
British Fur Company, though of ample amount, form no 
criterion by which to judge of the advantages that would 
have arisen had it been entirely in the hands of the citi¬ 
zens of the United States. That company, as has been 
shown, is limited in the nature and scope of its opera¬ 
tions, and can make but little use of the maritime facili¬ 
ties held out by an emporium and a harbor on that coast. 
In our hands, besides the roving bands of trappers and 
traders, the country would have been explored and set¬ 
tled by industrious husbandmen; and the fertile valleys 
bordering its rivers, and shut up among its mountains, 
would have been made to pour forth their agricultural 
treasures to contribute to the general wealth. 

In respect to commerce, we should have had a line of 
trading posts from the Mississippi and the Missouri 
across the Rocky Mountains, forming a high road from 
the great regions of the west to the shores of the Pacific, 
We should have had a fortified post and port at the 
mouth of the Columbia, commanding the trade of that 
river and its tributaries, and of a wide extent of country 
and sea-coast; carrying on an active and profitable com¬ 
merce with the Sandwich Islands, and a direct and fre* 


CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS. 


675 


quent communication with China. In a word, Astoria 
might have realized the anticipations of Mr. Astor, so 
well understood and appreciated by Mr. Jefferson, in 
gradually becoming a commercial empire beyond the 
mountains, peopled by “ free and independent Americans, 
and linked with us by ties of blood and interest.” 

We repeat, therefore, our sincere regret, that our gov¬ 
ernment should have neglected the overture of Mr. Astor, 
and suffered the moment to pass by, when full possession 
of this region might have been taken quietly, as a matter 
of course, and a military post established, without dis¬ 
pute, at Astoria. Our statesmen have become sensible, 
when too late, of the importance of this measure. Bills 
have repeatedly been brought into Congress for the pur¬ 
pose, but without success; and our rightful possessions 
on that coast, as well as our trade on the Pacific, have no 
rallying point protected by the national flag, and by a 
military force. 

In the meantime, the second period of ten years is fast 
elapsing. In 1838, the question of title will again come 
up, and most probably, in the present amicable state of 
our relations with Great Britain, will be again postponed* 
Every year, however, the litigated claim is growing in 
importance. There is no pride so jealous and irritable 
as the pride of territory. As one wave of emigration 
after another rolls into the vast regions of the west, and 
our settlements stretch towards the Rocky Mountains, 
the eager eyes of our pioneers will pry beyond, and they 


676 


ASTORIA. 


will become impatient of any barrier or impediment in 
the way of what they consider a grand outlet of our em¬ 
pire. Should any circumstance, therefore, unfortunately 
occur to disturb the present harmony of the two nations, 
this ill-adjusted question, which now lies dormant, may 
suddenly start up into one of belligerent import, and As¬ 
toria become the watchword in a contest for dominion on 
the shores of the Pacific. 


Since the above was written, the question of dominion 
over the vast territory beyond the Pocky Mountains, 
which for a time threatened to disturb the peaceful rela¬ 
tions with our transatlantic kindred, has been finally set¬ 
tled in a spirit of mutual concession, and the venerable 
projector whose early enterprise forms the subject of this 
work had the satisfaction of knowing, ere his eyes closed 
upon the world, that the flag of his country again waved 
over “Astoria.’* 



APPENDIX. 












































































































































































































































. 




















































































































































































































































APPENDIX, 


Draught of a Petition to Congress, sent by Mr. Astor in 181k 

To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United State*, lb 
Congress assembled, 

The petition of the American Fur Company respectfully showeth : 

That the trade with the several Indian trines of North America, has, 
for many years past, been almost exclusively carried on by the merchants 
of Canada ; who, having formed powerful and extensive associations for 
that purpose, being aided by British capital, and being encouraged by 
the favor and protection of the British government, could not be opposed, 
with any prospect of success by individuals of the United States. 

That by means of the above trade, thus systematically pursued, not 
only the inhabitants of the United States have been deprived of commep 
cial profits and advantages, to which they appear to have just and natm 
ral pretensions, but a great and dangerous influence has been established 
over the Indian tribes, difficult to be counteracted, and capable of being 
exerted at critical periods, to the great injury and annoyance of our 
frontier settlements. 

That in order to obtain at least a part of the above trade, and more 
particularly that which is within the boundaries of the United States, 
your petitioners, in the year 1808, obtained an act of incorporation from 
the State of New York, whereby they are enabled, with a competent 

capital, to carry on the said trade with the Indians in such a manner « 

679 



680 


APPENDIX ; 


may be conformable to the laws and regulations of the United States, ia 
relation to such a commerce. 

That the capital mentioned in the said act, amounting to one million 
of dollars, having been duly formed, your petitioners entered with zeal 
and alacrity into those large and important arrangements, winch were 
necessary for, or conducive to the object of their incorporation ; and, 
among other things, purchased a great part of the stock in trade, and 
trading establishments, of the Michilimackinac Company of Canada.— 
Your petitioners also, with the expectation of great public and private 
advantage from the use of the said establishments, ordered, during the 
spring and summer of 1810, an assortment of goods from England, suita¬ 
ble for the Indian trade ; which, in consequence of the President’s proc¬ 
lamation of November of that year, were shipped to Canada instead of 
New York, and have been transported, under a very heavy expense, into 
the interior of the country. But as they could not legally be brought 
into the Indian country within the boundaries of the United States, they 
have been stored on the Island of St. Joseph, in Lake Huron, where they 
now remain. 

Your petitioners, with great deference and implicit submission to the 
wisdom of the national legislature, beg leave to suggest for consideration, 
whether they have not some claim to national attention and encourage¬ 
ment, from the nature and importance of their undertaking ; which 
though hazardous and uncertain as concerns their private emolument, 
must, at any rate, redound to the public security and advantage. If their 
undertaking shall appear to be of the description given, they would 
further suggest to your honorable bodies, that unless they can procure a 
regular supply for the trade in which they are engaged, it may languish, 
and be finally abandoned by American citizens ; when it will revert to its 
former channel, with additional, and perhaps with irresistible, power. 

Under these circumstances, and upon all those considerations of public 
policy which will present themselves to your honorable bodies, in connec¬ 
tion with those already mentioned, your petitioners respectfully pray that 
a law may be passed to enable the President, or any of the heads of de¬ 
partments acting under his authority, to grant permits for the introdue- 


APPENDIX. 


681 


tion of goods necessary foi the supply of the Indians, into the Indian 
country that is within the boundaries of the United States, under such 
regulations, and with such restrictions, as may secure the public revenue 
and promote the public welfare. 

And your petitioners shall ever pray, &c. 

In witness whereof, the common seal of the American Pur Company is 
hereunto affixed, the day of March, 1812. 

By order of the Corporation. 


AN ACT to enable the American Fur Company, and other citizens, to introduce goods 
necessary for the Indian trade into the territories within the boundaries of the United 
States. 

Whereas, the public peace and welfare require that the native Indian 
tribes, residing within the boundaries of the United States, should re¬ 
ceive their necessary supplies under the authority and from the citizens of 
the United States : Therefore, be it enacted by the Senate and House of 
Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled, that it shall 
be lawful for the President of the United States, or any of the heads of 
departments thereunto by him duly authorized, from time to time to 
grant permits to the American Fur Company, their agents or factors, or 
any other citizens of the United States engaged in the Indian trade, to 
introduce into the Indian country, within the boundaries of the United 
States, such goods, wares, and merchandise, as may be necessary for the 
said trade, under such regulations and restrictions as the said President 
or heads of departments may judge proper ; any law or regulation to the 
contrary, in anywise, notwithstanding. 


Letter from Mr. Gallatin to Mr. Astor , dated 

New York, August 5, 1835. 

Bear Sir, —In compliance with your request, I will state such facts as 
1 recollect touching the subjects mentioned in your letter of 28th ult. I 




682 


APPENDIX. 


may be mistaken respecting dates and details, and will only relate gen¬ 
eral facts, which I well remember. 

In conformity with the treaty of 1794 with Great Britain, the citizens 
and subjects of each country were permitted to trade with the Indians 
residing in the territories of the other party. The reciprocity was alto¬ 
gether nominal. Since the conquest of Canada, the British had inherited 
from the French the whole fur trade, through the great lakes and their 
communications, with all the western Indians, whether residing in the 
British dominions or the United States. They kept the important west¬ 
ern posts on those lakes till about the year 1797. And the defensive 
Indian war, which the United States had to sustain from 1776 to 1795, 
had still more alienated the Indians, and secured to the British their 
exclusive trade, carried through the lakes, wherever the Indians in that 
quarter lived. No American could, without imminent danger of property 
and life, carry on that trade, even within the United States, by the way 
of either Michilimackinac or St. Mary’s. And independent of the loss of 
commerce, Great Britain was enabled to preserve a most dangerous influ¬ 
ence over our Indians. 

It was under these circumstances that you communicated to our gov¬ 
ernment the prospect you had to be able, and your intention, to purchase 
one half of the interest of the Canadian Fur Company, engaged in trade 
by the way of Michilimackinac with our own Indians. You wished to 
know whether the plan met with the approbation of government, and how 
far you could rely on its protection and encouragement. This overture 
was received with great satisfaction by the administration, and Mr. Jef¬ 
ferson, then President, wrote you to that effect. I was also directed, as 
Secretary of the Treasury, to write to you an official letter to the same 
purpose. On investigating the subject, it was found that the Executive 
had no authority to give you any direct aid; and I believe you received 
nothing more than an entire approbation of your plan, and general as¬ 
surances of the protection due to every citizen engaged in lawful and use¬ 
ful pursuits. 

You did effect the contemplated purchase, but in what year I do not 
recollect. Immediately before the war, you represented that a large 


APPENDIX . 


683 


quantity of merchandise, intended for the Indian trade, and including 
arms and munitions of war, belonging to that concern of which »you 
owned one half, was deposited at a post on Lake Huron, within the Brit¬ 
ish dominions ; that, in order to prevent their ultimately falling into the 
hands of Indians who might prove hostile, you were desirous to try to 
have them conveyed into the United States ; but that you were prevented 
by the then existing law of non-intercourse with the British dominions. 

The Executive could not annul the provisions of that law. But I was 
directed to instruct the collectors on the lakes, in case you and your 
agents should voluntarily bring in and deliver to them any part of the 
goods above mentioned, to receive and keep them in their guard, and not 
to commence prosecutions until further instructions : the intention being 
then to apply to Congress for an act remitting the forfeiture and penal¬ 
ties. I wrote accordingly, to that effect, to the collectors of Detroit and 
Michilimackinac. 

The attempt to obtain the goods did not, however, succeed ; and I can¬ 
not say how far the failure injured you. But the war proved fatal to an¬ 
other much more extensive and important enterprise. 

Previous to that time, but I also forgot the year, you had undertaken 
to carry on a trade on your own account, though I believe under the New 
York charter of the American Fur Company, with the Indians west of 
the Rocky Mountains. This project was also communicated to govern¬ 
ment, and met, of course, with its full approbation, and best wishes, for 
your success. You carried it on, on the most extensive scale, sending 
several ships to the mouth of the Columbia River, and a large party by 
land across the mountains, and finally founding the establishment of 
Astoria. 

This unfortunately fell into the hands of the enemy during the war, 
from circumstances with which I am but imperfectly acquainted—being 
then absent on a foreign mission. I returned in September, 1815, and 
sailed again on a mission to France in June, 1816. During that period 
I visited Washington twice—in October or November, 1815, and in March, 
1816. On one of these occasions, and I believe on the last, you mentioned 
to me that you were disposed once more to renew the attempt, and to re- 


684 


APPENDIX, 


establish Astoria, provided you had the protection of the American flag 1 ; 
for which purpose, a lieutenant’s command would be sufficient to you. 
You requested me to mention this to the President, which I did. Mr. 
Madison said he would consider the subject, and, although he did not 
commit himself, I thought that he received the proposal favorably. Tim 
message was verbal, and I do not know whether the application was ever 
renewed in a more formal manner. I sailed soon after for Europe, and 
was seven years absent. I never had the pleasure, since 1816, to see Mr. 
Madison, and never heard again anything concerning the subject in 
question. 

I remain, dear sir, most respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 

Albert Gallatin. 

John Jacob Astor, Esq., 

New York. 


Notices of the Present State of the Fur Trade , chiefly extracted from an 
article published in Silliman’s Magazine for January , 1834. 

The Northwest Company did not long enjoy the sway they had ac¬ 
quired over the trading regions of the Columbia. A competition, ruinous 
in its expenses, which had long existed between them and the Hudson’s 
Bay Company, ended in their downfall and the ruin of most of the part¬ 
ners. The relict of the company became merged in the rival association, 
and the whole business was conducted under the name of the Hudson’s 
Bay Company. 

This coalition took place in 1821. They then abandoned Astoria, and 
built a large establishment sixty miles up the river, on the right bank, 
which they called Fort Vancouver. This was in a neighborhood where 
provisions could be more readily procured, and where there was less dan¬ 
ger from molestation by any naval force. The company are said to carry 
on an active and prosperous trade, and to give great encouragement to 
settlers. They are extremely jealous, however, of any interference or par- 



APPENDIX . 


685 


ticipation in their trade, and monopolize it from the coast of the Pacific 
to the mountains, and for a considerable extent north and south. The 
American traders and trappers who venture across the mountains, instead 
of enjoying the participation in the trade of the river and its tributaries, 
that had been stipulated by treaty, are obliged to keep to the south, out 
of the track of the Hudson’s Bay parties. 

Mr. Astor has withdrawn entirely from the American Fur Company, as 
he has, in fact, from active business of every kind. That company is now 
headed by Mr. Ramsay Crooks ; its principal establishment is at Michili- 
mackinac, and it receives its furs from the posts depending on that 
station, and from those on the Mississippi, Missouri, and Yellow Stone 
Rivers, and the great range of country extending thence to the Rocky 
Mountains. This company has steamboats in its employ, with which it 
ascends the rivers, and penetrates to a vast distance into the bosom of 
those regions formerly so painfully explored in keel-boats and barges, or 
by weary parties on horseback and on foot. The first irruption of steam¬ 
boats in the heart of these vast wildernesses is said to have caused the 
utmost astonishment and affright among their savage inhabitants. 

In addition to the main companies already mentioned, minor associa¬ 
tions have been formed, which push their way in the most intrepid man¬ 
ner to the remote parts of the far West, and beyond the mountain barri¬ 
ers. One of the most noted of these is Ashley’s company, from St. 
Louis, who trap for themselves, and drive an extensive trade with the In¬ 
dians. The spirit, enterprise, and hardihood of Ashley, are themes of the 
highest eulogy in the far West, and his adventures and exploits furnish 
abundance of frontier stories. 

Another company of one hundred and fifty persons from New York, 
formed in 1831, and headed by Captain Bonneville of the United States 
army, has pushed its enterprise into tracts before but little known, and 
has brought considerable quantities of furs from the region between the 
Rocky Mountains and the coasts of Monterey and Upper California, on 
the Buenaventura and Timpanogos rivers. 

The fur countries, from the Pacific, east to the Rocky Mountains, are 
now occupied (exclusive of private combinations and individual trappers 


686 


APPENDIX . 


and traders) by the Russians; and on the northwest from Behring’s Strait 
to Queen Charlotte’s Island, in north latitude fifty-three degrees, and by 
the Hudson’s Bay Company thence, south of the Columbia River ; while 
Ashley’s company, and that under Captain Bonneville, take the re¬ 
mainder of the region to California. Indeed, the whole compass from the 
Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean is traversed in every direction. The 
mountains and forests, from the Arctic Sea to the Gulf of Mexico, are 
threaded through every maze, by the hunter. Every river and tributary 
stream, from the Columbia to the mouth of the Rio del Norte, and from 
the M’Kenzie to the Colorado of the West, from their head springs to 
their junction, are searched and trapped for beaver. Almost all the 
American furs, which do not belong to the Hudson’s Bay Company, find 
their way to New York, and are either distributed thence for home con¬ 
sumption, or sent to foreign markets. 

The Hudson’s Bay Company ship their furs from their factories of York 
Fort and from Moose River, on Hudson’s Bay; their collection from 
Grand River, &c., they ship from Canada ; and the collection from Co¬ 
lumbia goes to London. None of their furs come to the United States, 
except through the London market. 

The export trade of furs from the United States is chiefly to London. 
Some quantities have been sent to Canton, and some few to Hamburg ; 
and an increasing export trade in beaver, otter, nutria, and vicunia wool, 
prepared for the hatter’s use, is carried on in Mexico. Some furs are ex¬ 
ported from Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston; but the principal ship¬ 
ments from the United States are from New York to London, from 
whence they are sent to Leipsic, a well-known mart for furs, where they 
are disposed of during the great fair in that city, and distributed to 
every part of the continent. 

The United States import from South America, nutria, vicunia, chin¬ 
chilla, and a few deer-skins; also fur seals from the Lobos Islands, off the 
river Plate. A quantity of beaver, otter, &c., are brought annually from 
Santa Fe. Dressed furs for edgings, linings, caps, muffs, &c., such as 
squirrel, genet, fitch-skins, and blue rabbit, are received from the north of 
Europe; also cony and hare’s fur; but the largest importations are from 


APPENDIX. 


687 


London, where is concentrated nearly the whole of the North American 
fur trade. 

Such is the present state of the fur trade, by which it will appear that 
the extended sway of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and the monopoly of 
the region of which Astoria was the key, has operated to turn the main 
current of this opulent trade into the coffers of Great Britain, and to 
render London the emporium instead of New York, as Mr. Astor had 
intended. 

We will subjoin a few observations on the animals sought after in this 
traffic, extracted from the same intelligent source with the preceding 
remarks. 

Of the fur-bearing animals , “ the precious ermine,” so called by way of 
preeminence, is found, of the best quality, only in the cold regions of Eu¬ 
rope and Asia. * Its fur is of the most perfect whiteness, except the tip 
of its tail, which is of a brilliant shining black. With these back tips 
tacked on the skins, they are beautifully spotted, producing an effect often 
imitated, but never equalled in other furs. The ermine is of the genus 
mustela (weasel), and resembles the common weasel in its form, is from 
fourteen to sixteen inches from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. 
The body is from ten to twelve inches long. It lives in hollow trees, river 
banks, and especially in beech forests ; preys on small birds, is very shy, 
sleeping during the day, and employing the night in search of food. The 
fur of the older animals is preferred to the younger. It is taken by 
snares and traps, and sometimes shot with bluut arrows. Attempts have 
been made to domesticate it; but it is extremely wild and has been found 
untameable. 

The sable can scarcely be called second to the ermine. It is a native of 
Northern Europe and Siberia, and is also of the genus mustela. In 
Samoieda, Yakutsk, Kamtschatka, aud Russian Lapland, it is found of 
the richest quality, and darkest color. In its habits, it resembles the 
ermine. It preys on small squirrels and birds, sleeps by day, and prowls 
for food during the night. It is so like the marten in every particular 

* Au animal called the stoat, a kind of ermine, is said to be found in North America, 
put very inferior to the European and Asiatic. 


688 


APPENDIX. 


except its size, and the daik shade of its color, that naturalists have noi 
decided whether it is the richest and finest of the marten tribe, or a vari¬ 
ety of that species.* It varies in dimensions from eighteen to twenty 
inches. 

The rich dark shades of the sable, and the snowy whiteness of the er¬ 
mine, the great depth, and the peculiar, almost flowing softness of their 
skins and fur, have combined to gain them a preference in all countries, 
and in all ages of the world. In this age, they maintain the same rela¬ 
tive estimate in regard to other furs, as when they marked the rank of the 
proud crusader, and were emblazoned in heraldry: but in most European 
nations, they are now worn promiscuously by the opulent. 

The martens from Northern Asia and the Mountains of Kamtschatka 
are much superior to the American, though in every pack of American 
marten skins there are a certain number which are beautifully shaded, 
and of a dark brown olive color, of great depth and richness. 

Next these in value, for ornament and utility, are the sea-otter, the 
mink, and the fiery fox. 

The fiery fox is the bright red of Asia; is more brilliantly colored and 
of finer fur than any other of the genus. It is highly valued for the 
splendor of its red color and the fineness of its fur. It is the standard of 
value on the northeastern coast of Asia. 

The sea-otter, which was first introduced into commerce in 1725, from 
the Aleutian and Kurile Islands, is an exceedingly fine, soft, close fur, 
jet black in winter, with a silken gloss. The fur of the young animal is 
of a beautiful brown color. It is met with in great abundance in Behr¬ 
ing’s Island. Kamtschatka, Aleutian and Fox Islands, and is also taken 
on the opposite coasts of North America. It is sometimes taken with 
nets, but more frequently with clubs and spears. Their food is princi¬ 
pally lobster and other shell-fish. 

In 1780 furs had become so scarce in Siberia, that the supply was insuf- 

* The finest fur and the darkest color are most esteemed ; and whether the difference 
arises from the age of the animal, or from some peculiarity of location, is not known. 
They do not vary more from the common mart* than the Arabian horse from the 
shaggy Canadian. 


APPENDIX. 


689 


ficient for tne demand in the Asiatic countries. It was at this time that 
the sea-otter was introduced into the markets for China. The skins 
brought such incredible prices, as to originate immediately several 
American and British expeditions to the northern islands of the Pacific, 
to Nootka Sound, and the northwest coast of America; but the Russians 
already had possession of the tract which they now hold, and had ar¬ 
ranged a trade for the sea-otter with the Koudek tribes. They do not 
engross the trade, however; the American northwest trading ships pro¬ 
cure them, all along the coast, from the Indians. 

At one period, the fur seals formed no inconsiderable item in the trade. 
South Georgia, in south latitude fifty-five degrees, discovered in 1675, was 
explored by Captain Cook in 1771. The Americans immediately com¬ 
menced carrying seal skins thence to China, where they obtained the 
most exorbitant prices. One million two hundred thousand skins have 
been taken from that island alone, and nearly an equal number from the 
Island of Desolation, since they were first resorted to for the purpose of 
commerce. 

The discovery of the South Shetlands, sixty-three degrees south lati¬ 
tude, in 1818, added surprisingly to the trade in fur seals. The number 
taken from the South Shetlands in 1821 and 1822 amounted to three hun¬ 
dred and twenty thousand. This valuable animal is now almost ex¬ 
tinct in all these islands, owing to the exterminating system adopted by 
the hunters. They are still taken on the Lobos Islands, where the provi¬ 
dent government of Montevideo restrict the fishery, or hunting, within 
certain limits, which insures an annual return of the seals. At certain 
seasons, these amphibia, for the purpose of renewing their coat, come up 
on the dark frowning rocks and precipices, where there is not a trace of 
vegetation. In the middle of January, the islands are partially cleared 
of snow, where a few patches of short straggling grass spring up in fav¬ 
orable situations ; but the seals do not resort to it for food. They re¬ 
main on the rocks not less than two months, without any sustenance, 
when they return much emaciated to the sea. 

Bears of various species and colors, many varieties of the fox, the wolf, 
the beaver, the otter, the marten, the raccoon, the badger, the wolverine, 
44 


690 


APPENDIX. 


the mink, the lynx, the muskrat, the woodchuck, the rabbit, the hare, and 
the squirrel, are natives of North America. 

The beaver, otter, lynx, fisher, hare, and raccoon, are used principally 
for hats; while the bears of several varieties furnish an excellent material 
for sleigh linings, for cavalry caps, and other military equipments. The 
fur of the black fox is the most valuable of any of the American varieties-, 
and next to that the red, which is exported to China and Smyrna. 
In China, the red is employed for trimmings, linings, and robes; the lat* 
ter being variegated by adding the black fur of the paws, in spots or 
waves. There are many other varieties of American fox, such as the 
gray, the white, the cross, the silver, and the dun-colored. The silver 
fox is a rare animal, a native of the woody country below the falls of the 
Columbia River. It has a long, thick, deep lead-colored fur, inter¬ 
mingled with long hairs, invariably white at the top, forming a bright 
lustrous silver gray, esteemed by some more beautiful than any other 
kind of fox. 

The skins of the buffalo, of the Rocky Mountain sheep, of various deer, 
and of the antelope, are included in the fur trade with the Indians and 
trappers of the north and west. 

Fox and seal skins are sent from Greenland to Denmark. The white fur 
of the arctic fox and polar bear is sometimes found in the packs brought 
to the traders by the most northern tribes of Indians, but is not particu¬ 
larly valuable. The silver-tipped rabbit is peculiar to England, and is 
sent thence to Russia and China. 

Other furs are employed and valued according to the caprices of fash¬ 
ion, as well in those countries where they are needed for defenses against 
the severity of the seasons, as among the inhabitants of milder climates, 
who, being of Tartar or Sclavonian descent, are said to inherit an attach¬ 
ment to furred clothing. Such are the inhabitants of Poland, of 
Southern Russia, of China, of Persia, of Turkey, and all the nations of 
Gothic origin in the middle and western parts of Europe. Under the 
burning suns of Syria and Egypt, and the mild climes of Bucharia and 
Independent Tartary, there is also a constant demand, and a great corn- 
sumption, where there exists no physical necessity. In our own temper* 


APPENDIX. 


691 


ate latitudes, besides their use in the arts, they are in request for orna¬ 
ment and warmth during the winter, and large quantities are annually 
consumed for both purposes in the United States. 

From the foregoing statements, it appears that the fur trade must 
henceforward decline. The advanced state of geographical science shows 
that no new countries remain to be explored. In North America the 
animals are slowly decreasing, from the persevering efforts and the indis¬ 
criminate slaughter practised by the hunters, and by the appropriation to 
the uses of man of those forests and rivers which have afforded them food 
and protection. They recede with the aborigines, before the tide of civili¬ 
zation ; but a diminished supply will remain in the mountains and un¬ 
cultivated tracts of this and other countries, if the avidity of the hunter 
can be restrained within proper limitations. 


Height of the Rocky Mountain 

Various estimates have been made of the height of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains, but it is doubtful whether any have, as yet, done justice to their 
real altitude, which promises to place them only second to the highest 
mountains of the known world. Their height has been diminished to the 
eye by the great elevation of the plains from which they rise. They con¬ 
sist, according to Long, of ridges, knobs, and peaks, variously disposed. 
The more elevated parts are covered with perpetual snows, which con¬ 
tribute to give them a luminous, and, at a great distance, even a brilliant 
appearance ; whence they derived, among some of the first discoverers, 
the name of the Shining Mountains. 

James’s Peak has generally been cited as the highest of the chain; and 
its elevation above the common level has been ascertained, by a trigo¬ 
nometrical measurement, to be about eight thousand five hundred feet. 
Mr. Long, however, judged, from the position of the snow near the sum¬ 
mits of other peaks and ridges at no great distance from it. that they 
were much higher. Having heard Professor Ren wick, of New York, ex¬ 
press an opinion of the altitude of these mountains far beyond what had 



692 


APPENDIX. 


usually been ascribed to them, we applied to him for the authority on 
which he grounded his observation, and here subjoin his reply:— 

Columbia College, New York, February 23, 1836. 

Dear Sir,— In compliance with your request, I have to communicate 
some facts in relation to the heights of the Rocky Mountains, and the 
sources whence 1 obtained the information. 

In conversation with Simon M’Gillivray, Esq., a partner of the North¬ 
west Company, he stated to me his impression, that the mountains in the 
vicinity of the route pursued by the traders of that company were nearly 
as high as the Himalayas. He had himself crossed by this route, seen the 
snowy summits of the peaks, and experienced a degree of cold which re¬ 
quired a spirit thermometer to indicate it. His authority for the estimate 
of the heights was a gentleman who had been employed for several years 
as surveyor of that company. This conversation occurred about sixteen 
years since. 

A year or two afterwards, I had the pleasure of dining, at Major Dela- 
field’s, with Mr. Thompson, the gentleman referred to by Mr. M’Gillivray. 
I inquired of him in relation to the circumstances mentioned by Mr. 
M’Gillivray, and he stated, that, by the joint means of the barometric 
and trigonometric measurement, he had ascertained the height of one of 
the peaks to be about twenty-five thousand feet, and there were others of 
nearly the same height in the vicinity. 

I am, dear sir, 

Yours truly, 

James Renwick. 

To W. Irving, Esq. 


Suggestions with respect to the Indicm tribes, and the protection of our 

Trade . 

In the course of this work, a few general remarks have been hazarded 
respecting the Indian tribes of the prairies, and the dangers to be appre¬ 
hended from them in future times to our trade beyond the ftocky Moun- 



APPENDIX. 


693 


tains and with the Spanish frontiers. Since writing those remarks, we 
have met with some excellent observations and suggestions, in manu¬ 
script, on the same subject, written by Captain Bonneville, of the United 
States army, who has lately returned from a long residence among the 
tribes of the Rocky Mountains. Captain B. approves highly of the plan 
recently adopted by the United States government for the organization 
of a regiment of dragoons for the protection of our western frontier, and 
tiie trade across the prairies. “No other species of military force,” he 
observes, “is at all competent to cope with these restless and wandering 
hordes, who require to be opposed with swiftness quite as much as with 
strength; and the consciousness that a troop, uniting these qualifications, 
is always on the alert to avenge their outrages upon the settlers and trad¬ 
ers, will go very far towards restraining them from the perpetration of 
those thefts and murders which they have heretofore committed with im¬ 
punity, whenever stratagem or superiority of force has given them the 
advantage. Their interest already has done something towards their pa¬ 
cification with our countrymen. From the traders among them, they re¬ 
ceive their supplies in the greatest abundance, and upon very equitable 
terms ; and when it is remembered that a very considerable amount of 
property is yearly distributed among them by the government, as pres¬ 
ents, it will readily be perceived that they are greatly dependent upon us 
for their most valued resources. If, superadded to this inducement, a fre¬ 
quent display of military power be made in their territories, there can be 
little doubt that the desired security and peace will be speedily afforded 
to our own people. But the idea of establishing a permanent amity and 
concord amongst the various east and west tribes themselves, seems to me, 
if not wholly impracticable, at least infinitely more difficult than many 
excellent philanthropists have hoped and believed. Those nations which 
have so lately emigrated from the midst of our settlements to live upon 
our western borders, and have made some progress in agriculture and the 
arts of civilization, have, in the property they have acquired, and the pro¬ 
tection and aid extended to them, too many advantages to be induced 
readily to take up arms against us, particularly if they can be brought to 
the full conviction that their new homes will be permanent and undis* 


694 


APPENDIX . 


turbed; and there is every reason and motive, in policy as well as human¬ 
ity, for our ameliorating their condition by every means in our power. 
But the case is far different with regard to the Osages, the Kanzas, the 
Pawnees, and other roving hordes beyond the frontiers of the settlements. 
Wild and restless in their character and habits, they are by no means so 
susceptible of control or civilization; and they are urged by strong, and, 
to them, irresistible causes in their situation and necessities, to the daily 
perpetration of violence and fraud. Their permanent subsistence, for ex¬ 
ample, is derived from the buffalo hunting grounds, which lie a great dis¬ 
tance from their towns. Twice a year they are obliged to make long and 
dangerous expeditions, to procure the necessary provisions for themselves 
and their families. For this purpose horses are absolutely requisite, for 
their own comfort and safety, as well as for the transportation of their 
food, and their little stock of valuables; and without them they would 
be reduced, during a great portion of the year, to a state of abject misery 
and privation. They have no brood mares, nor any trade sufficiently 
valuable to supply their yearly losses, and endeavor to keep up their stock 
by stealing horses from the other tribes to the west and southwest. Our 
own people, and the tribes immediately upon our borders, may indeed be 
protected from their depredations; and the Kanzas, Osages, Pawnees, and 
others, may be induced to remain at peace among themselves, so long as 
they are permitted to pursue the old custom of levying upon the Caman- 
ches and other remote nations for their complement of steeds for the war¬ 
riors, and pack-horses for their transportations to and from the hunting 
ground. But the instant they are forced to maintain a peaceful and in¬ 
offensive demeanor towards the tribes along the Mexican border, and find 
that every violation of their rights is followed by the avenging arm of our 
government, the result must be, that, reduced to a wretchedness and want 
which they can ill brook, and feeling the certainty of punishment for 
every attempt to ameliorate their condition in the only way they as yet 
comprehend, they will abandon their unfruitful territory and remove to 
the neighborhood of the Mexican lands, and there carry on a vigorous 
predatory warfare indiscriminately upon the Mexicans and our own peo¬ 
ple trading or travelling in that quarter. 


APPENDIX. 


695 


“ The Indians of the prairies are almost innumerable. Their superior 
horsemanship, which, in my opinion, far exceeds that of any other people 
on the face of the earth, their daring bravery, their cunning and skill in 
the warfare of the wilderness, and the astonishing rapidity and secrecy 
with which they are accustomed to move in their martial expeditions, 
will always render them most dangerous and vexatious neighbors, when 
their necessities or their discontents may drive them to hostility with our 
frontiers. Their mode and principles of warfare will always protect them 
from final and irretrievable defeat, and secure their families from partici¬ 
pating in any blow, however severe, which our retribution might deal out 
to them. 

“The Camanches lay the Mexicans under contribution for horses and 
mules, which they are always engaged in stealing from them in incredible 
numbers ; and from the Camanches, all the roving tribes of the far West, 
by a similar exertion of skill and daring, supply themselves in turn. It 
seems to me, therefore, under all these circumstances, that the apparent 
futility of any philanthropic schemes for the benefit of these nations, and 
a regard for our own protection, concur in recommending that we remain 
satisfied with maintaining peace upon our own immediate borders, and 
leave the Mexicans and the Camanches, and all the tribes hostile to these 
last, to settle their differences and difficulties in their own way. 

‘ ‘ In order to give full security and protection to our trading parties 
circulating in all directions through the great prairies, I am under the 
impression, that a few judicious measures on the part of the government, 
involving a very limited expense, would be sufficient. And, in attaining 
this end, which of itself has already become an object of public interest 
and import, another, of much greater consequence, might be brought 
about, namely, the securing to the States a most valuable and increasing 
trade, now carried on by caravans directly to Santa Fe. 

“ As to the first desideratum : the Indians can only be made to respect 
the lives and property of the American parties, by rendering them de¬ 
pendent upon us for their supplies ; which can alone be done with com¬ 
plete effect by the establishment of a trading post, with resident traders, 
at some point which will unite a sufficient number of advantages to 


686 


APPENDIX . 


attract the several tribes to itself, in preference to their present plaoes of 
resort for that purpose ; for it is a well-known fact, that the Indians will 
always protect their trader, and those in whom he is interested, so long 
as they derive benefits from him. The alternative presented to those at 
the north, by the residence of the agents of the Hudson’s Bay Company 
amongst them, renders the condition of our people in that quarter less 
secure ; but I think it will appear at once, upon the most cursory exam¬ 
ination, that no such opposition further south could be maintained, so as 
to weaken the benefits of such an establishment as is here suggested. 

“ In considering this matter, the first question which presents itself is, 
where do these tribes now make their exchanges, and obtain their neces* 
sary supplies. They resort almost exclusively to the Mexicans, who, 
themselves, purchase from us whatever the Indians most seek for. In 
this point of view, therefore, cceteris paribus, it would be an easy matter 
for us to monopolize the whole traffic. All that is wanting is some loca¬ 
tion more convenient for the natives than that offered by the Mexicans, 
to give us the undisputed superiority ; and the selection of such a point 
requires but a knowledge of the single fact, tnat these nations invariably 
winter upon the head waters of the Arkansas, and there prepare all their 
buffalo robes for trade. These robes are heavy, and, to the Indian, very 
difficult of transportation. Nothing but necessity induces them to travel 
any great distance with such inconvenient baggage. A post, therefore, 
established upon the head waters of the Arkansas, must infallibly secure 
an uncontested preference over that of the Mexicans ; even at their prices 
and rates of barter. Then let the dragoons occasionally move about 
among these people in large parties, impressing them with the proper 
estimate of our power to protect and to punish, and at once we have com¬ 
plete and assured security for all citizens whose enterprise may lead them 
beyond the border, and an end to the outrages and depredations which 
now dog the footsteps of the traveller, in the prairies, and arrest and de¬ 
press the most advantageous commerce. Such a post need not be stronger 
than fifty men ; twenty-five to be employed as hunters, to supply the 
garrison, and the residue as a defense against any hostility. Situated 
here upon the good lands of the Arkansas, m the midst of abundance of 


APPENDIX . 


697 


timber, while it might be kept up at a most inconsiderable expense, such 
an establishment within ninety miles of Santa Fe or Taos would be more 
than justified by the other and more important advantages before alluded 
to, leaving the protection of the traders with the Indian tribes entirely 
out of the question. 

“ This great trade, carried on by caravans to Santa Fe, annually loads 
one hundred wagons with merchandise, which is bartered in the northern 
provinces or Mexico for cash and for beaver furs. The numerous articles 
excluded as contraband, and the exorbitant duties laid upon all those that 
are admitted by the Mexican government, present so many obstacles to 
commerce, that I am well persuaded, that if a post, such as is here sug¬ 
gested, should be established on the Arkansas, it would become the place 
of deposit, not only for the present trade, but for one infinitely more ex¬ 
tended. Here the Mexicans might purchase their supplies, and might 
well afford to sell them at prices which would silence all competition from 
any other quarter. 

“ These two trades, with the Mexicans and the Indians, centring at this 
post, would give rise to a large village of traders and laborers, and would 
undoubtedly be hailed, by all that section of country, as a permanent and 
invaluable advantage. A few pack-horses would carry all the clothing 
and ammunition necessary for the post during the first year, and two 
light field-pieces would be all the artillery required for its defense. After¬ 
wards, all the horses required for the use of the establishment might be 
purchased from the Mexicans at the low price of ten dollars each ; and, 
at the same time, whatever animals might be needed to supply the losses 
among the dragoons traversing the neighborhood, could be readily pro¬ 
cured. The Upper Missouri Indians can furnish horses, at very cheap 
rates, to any number of the same troops who might be detailed for the 
defense of the northern frontier ; and, in other respects, a very limited 
outlay of money would suffice to maintain a post in that section of the 
country. 

“From these considerations, and my own personal observation, I am. 
therefore, disposed to believe, that two posts established by the govern¬ 
ment, one at the mouth of the Yellowstone River, and one on the Arkan- 


698 


APPENDIX. 


sas, would completely protect all our people in every section of the 
great wilderness of the West; while other advantages, at least with 
regard to one of them, confirm and urge the suggestion. A fort at the 
mouth of the Yellowstone, garrisoned by fifty men would be perfectly 
safe. The establishment might be constructed simply with a view to 
the stores, stables for the dragoons’ horses, and quarters for the regular 
garrison ; the rest being provided with sheds or lodges, erected in the 
▼icinity, for their residence during the winter months.” 


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MAY 4 




1 


BRENT ANO'S 
BookHcllerK & Stationers, 
Washington, D. C. 




























































































































































































































































































































